Baid mushk is the musk willow, and its catkins carry a scent somewhere between honey and green wood. Unani physicians classed it among the mufarrah — the gladdeners — and gave it for a heart under strain and a mind that would not rest. Laraib distils the flowering tops fresh each spring in Multan and bottles the water plain.
What it is traditionally used for
- Traditionally taken as a tonic to give strength to the heart
- Long regarded as one of the finest arqs for the brain and the mind
- Taken to draw off excess body heat in hot weather
- Used to quench severe, unrelenting thirst
- A classical choice for palpitation (khafqan) and fluttering in the chest
- Traditionally taken to settle nervousness, agitation and low mood
How it is made
Fresh musk-willow catkins are distilled soon after picking, while the aromatic oil is still in them — a slow, low-steam run in a traditional deg, with only the fragrant early and middle fractions kept. The willow is single-origin from the northern valleys. Nothing is added: no sugar, no alcohol, no essence, no preservative.
How to take it
30–60 ml, morning and evening, plain or with an equal measure of chilled water. Many households keep it in the fridge and take it cold right through the summer. It sits well shortly before bed, and the old prescriptions often paired it half and half with Arq-e-Gaozuban.
Good to know
- 800 ml family bottle
- DRAP registration number 0803812127
- Naturally sugar-free, so it can be taken freely through hot weather
- 100% natural distillate; refrigerate after opening
Furqan Ahmed (verified owner) –
Calming and pleasant, and I like that there is no sugar in it. It is subtle though — do not expect anything immediate. I am three weeks in and only now noticing that I am less on edge.
Sana Bhatti (verified owner) –
Started taking it for palpitations at night after my doctor found nothing wrong physically. Two months on I sleep through and the fluttering has settled. Morning and evening, exactly as the label says.
Aiman Sattar (verified owner) –
In a Multan summer this is the only thing that helps. Chilled, half a glass in the afternoon, and the burning heat and constant thirst ease right off. Faint sweet smell and a very clean taste.