A gum resin used in antiquity as a constituent of incense and perfume. Its most important use today is as an aromatic astringent mouthwash. Tincture of myrrh provides symptomatic relief when applied to canker sores.
The authentic, non-culinary myrrh described in the Bible is the resinous sap produced by a tropical tree. Any allusion to myrrh in cuisine pertains to the herbaceous plant known as sweet cicely, which is frequently denoted by that appellation.