Fragrance-sational! Meet the FRANKINCENSE sommelier working at Shangri-La hotels in Oman
It makes the holidays fragrant! Meet FRANKINCENSE sommelier working at Shangri-La hotels in Oman, who serve dishes and cocktails infused with the aromatic resin Khalid Al Amri advises Shangri-La restaurants and bars on the use of incense stories and ma incense knowledge'
You'd be forgiven for thinking the incense trend was short-lived - forgotten after the three of the wise men donated it.
Far from it.
The frankincense trade flourished for centuries, until around AD 700 in parts of the Middle East and Africa - and today it is commonly burned in households in Oman, a country that remains one of the main producers of the substance.
The aromatic resin is also present in hotels managed by Shangri-La, which even employs a "sommelier with incense" - Khalid Al Amri. Which is not a gimmick.
He studied frankincense under Canadian researcher Dr Patricia Groves - who spent over 20 years researching and writing books on Oman's heritage, arts and culture – and with the National Museum of Oman in Muscat and the Bait Al Zubair Museum, a program that also earned him the title culture and heritage ambassador for Shangri-La in Oman.
So what is his role?
Khalid - who works at Omani's two Shangri-La resorts, Al Husn and Barr Al Jissah - said: 'All my life, I searched for my vocation and finally found it.
'My role is to bring our guests moments of joy by sharing stories and my knowledge of incense with others.
You'd be forgiven for thinking the incense trend was short-lived - forgotten after the three of the wise men donated it.
Far from it.
The frankincense trade flourished for centuries, until around AD 700 in parts of the Middle East and Africa - and today it is commonly burned in households in Oman, a country that remains one of the main producers of the substance.
The aromatic resin is also present in hotels managed by Shangri-La, which even employs a "sommelier with incense" - Khalid Al Amri. Which is not a gimmick.
He studied frankincense under Canadian researcher Dr Patricia Groves - who spent over 20 years researching and writing books on Oman's heritage, arts and culture – and with the National Museum of Oman in Muscat and the Bait Al Zubair Museum, a program that also earned him the title culture and heritage ambassador for Shangri-La in Oman.
So what is his role?
Khalid - who works at Omani's two Shangri-La resorts, Al Husn and Barr Al Jissah - said: 'All my life, I searched for my vocation and finally found it.
'My role is to bring our guests moments of joy by sharing stories and my knowledge of incense with others.
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