HELLO EVERYONE!
Some time ago, we in Aceh were shocked by the news about the stranding of several whales in the coastal waters Aceh Besar District. And just by chance, whatever the purpose of the phenomenon is. I am interested in collecting whale-related references. By chance, the whale stranded there is a Sperm Whale.
Shortly before that, we had talks with one of the seafarers in Lhokseumawe, and we talked about whale vomit which has high selling value. And now it’s been used as an expensive perfume. How is the story?
KNOW THE AMBERGRIS
Sperm whales have a disease that makes them vomit something in time, and this is only owned by sperm whales (Physeter macrocephalus L). The illness experienced is irritation which is in the belly of a fish, stomach irritation is usually caused by shellfish and squid heads that have been eaten for a long time.
So, to overcome this, Sperm whale species will spit it out spontaneously, that’s what is called ambergris, as you can see in the picture above, (bottom right). Even though it is found in the belly of a whale, but there is not much ambergris produced, it is estimated that there are only 3% to 4%). And that is only found in male whales.
Various Colors of Ambergris:
- Dark black (Found in ambergris which had just been spewed, soft and possessed unpleasant smell)
- Bright colors, gray and silver to perfect gray (Found in ambergris affected by seawater and air, the smell starts to change slightly)
- Final color, white (Usually this type of ambergris is dry, and has a more sweet and soft aroma)
AMBERGRIS IN HISTORY
Even though we currently use various types of perfume and have high prices, but the findings of perfume has existed since centuries earlier, starting from Egypt, Africa, and Saudi Arabia. And one of the best made from ambergris, whale vomit. Do you know what the market price is for one kilogram of ambergris? The price varies depending on the quality, but it can be estimated at US $ 10,000 / Kg!
Long before today, since 1000 BC, ambergris has been known and has become a merchandise in Africa. In the same period, the Chinese also knew Ambergris well, they called it “Lung Sien Hiang” or “could be interpreted as “Dragon Snake Fragrant Spit.“ When it was believed that ambergris came from a sea dragon saliva sleeping in sea rocks, in their mythology.
Then, ambergris was long known by the ancient Egyptians and used it as a fragrance. In the 10th century, an Arab trader, Ibn Haukal, trusted Ambergris which is efficacious for Aphrodisiac (enhancing sexual desire). Ibn Haukal also calls this as valuables which are equivalent to gold.
In addition, Rome has also begun using ambergris which has a low quality. The Romans use the whale vomit to make perfume. Apart from perfume, they also use the vomit in traditional medicines.
Some excellence of ambergris that I collected, among others are:
- Ambergris has a fragrant and long-lasting musk aroma
- Another fact is, Ambergris is the best oil after Kasturi oil.
- Hadith of the Prophet Muhammad (Peace upon Him) He wears perfume, with basic ingredients such as musk and ambergris.
Now, after seeing all that is about the uniqueness and the high prices that Ambergris has, then when I am on the beach, my eyes always pay attention to the sand, who knows, there is ambergris that I can get. Alright Trybe user, So much from me, may be useful. Regards!
I also post this at trybe.
source pic: pic1 | pic2 | pic3 | pic4
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