Which popular perfume ingredient is derived from mold-infected wood? A - Oud
B - Sandalwood
C - Oakmoss
D - Ambergris
Answer: A - Oud When trees of the Aquilaria genus in Southeast Asia become infected with the mold Phialophora parasitica, their heartwood — a core of dead wood at their center — produces a potent resin as a defense. The resin-soaked wood is known as agarwood, and the word “oud” refers to both the wood and the heady scented oil extracted from it. This richly scented compound has been valued as a perfumery ingredient for centuries, and is among the world's most expensive scents, costing upwards of $5,000 a pound. Oud is particularly valued in the Middle East, where chips of the wood are also used in the creation of incense.
Source: Fortune