Indian incense comes in two categories: masala and charcoal. Masala is a word in Hindi (and other Indian languages) meaning "spice mixture". It is commonly used when referring to curries or other food dishes, however when referring to Masala incenses, we are speaking about blending several solid scented dry ingredients. Dhoops are a type of Masala incense. These are extruded, and not made using bamboo sticks. Many dhoops have very concentrated scents and put out a lot of smoke when burned.