Nikki is an evergreen hardwood tree and is well known as a spice. It has a sweet aroma similar to that of cinnamon, but cinnamon uses the bark of the Ceylon cinnamon tree, whereas nikki uses the bark of the root. The bark, wood, and leaves also give off a sweet aroma.

The local elderly people know exactly where the trees grow, especially where the nikki grows. They used to dig out the roots in their childhood and chew on them as a snack. I was taught that it is better to dig them out in winter and let them dry out a bit before nibbling, as they become more bitter when it gets warmer.

Although it has not been fully researched, I could not hear of any use of the tree as a timber. Compared to other species of trees, it has a larger shrinkage rate when dried and cracks easily, and it seems to be easily infested with insects probably due to its fragrance. It is not an easy species to handle as timber, and its roots are valuable, which may be the reason why people did not think of cutting it down and using it as timber in the first place.