The name "二苏旧局" can be directly translated as “old location/house of the two Su brothers”, which is in memory of Su Shi and his brother Su Zhe, who were both famous poets in the Song Dynasty. The Su brothers are very fond of incense as it was also the main trend at the time, and have created incense recipes themselves as well.
Su Shi is the more famous one amongst the two brothers, and his poems reflect his bold and unconstrained characteristics. Besides being a poet, he is also a politician that has gone through lots of ups and downs yet still holds an optimistic mindset, a gourmet who invented the famous dish Dongpo Pork and a painter.
The recipe is said to be designed to mimic the social scene at the time, when the Su brothers invited their friends to come over and enjoy tea and food. Considering that incense is also commonly used at such occasions just like scented candles in our times now, the incense should bring you back to the old days of gathering within the literary and artistic community.
In terms of ingredients, the incense mixes jasmine into agarwood, sandalwood, amber and olibanum, a common base of Chinese incense, with date or orange flower honey.
The base is a balanced combination of the coolness in agarwood, milky sweetness in sandalwood, smokiness in amber and olibanum, while honey brings an additional layer of fruitiness and sweetness on top of the subtle floral scent of jasmine.
It’s a recipe that can be easily appreciated and considered “good” even for someone who knows nothing about all the spices and ingredients.
The original recipe actually didn’t provide the exact measurements of each ingredient, leaving extra space for spontaneity and improvisation when making the incense. A bit more honey gives more caramel type of sweetness when burnt, while more jasmine creates a warmer and gentler vibe with its white flower nature.