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Mastic (plant resin)
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Mastic (plant resin)
Mastic (Greek: Μαστίχα) is a resin obtained from the mastic tree (Pistacia lentiscus). It is also known as tears of Chios, being traditionally produced on the island of Chios, and, like other natural resins, is produced in "tears" or droplets.
Mastic is excreted by the resin glands of the evergreen shrub Pistacia lentiscus and dries into pieces of brittle, translucent resin. When chewed, the resin softens and becomes bright white and opaque. The flavor is bitter at first, but after some chewing, it releases a refreshing flavor similar to pine and cedar.
Chios mastic has been used as a traditional medicine over the last 2,500 years.[better source needed] The word mastic is derived indirectly from Ancient Greek: μαστίχη, lit. 'mastic', which may be related to Ancient Greek: μασᾶσθαι, lit. 'chew'. The first mention of actual mastic 'tears' was by Hippocrates. Hippocrates used mastic for the prevention of digestive problems, colds and as a breath freshener.[citation needed] Romans used mastic along with honey, pepper, and egg in the spiced wine conditum paradoxum.[citation needed] Under the Byzantine Empire, the mastic trade became the Emperor's monopoly. In the Ottoman Empire, the Sultan gathered the finest mastic crop.[citation needed]
During the Ottoman rule of Chios, mastic was worth its weight in gold. Sakız Adası, the Turkish name for the island of Chios, means 'gum island'. The mastic villages are fortress-like, out of sight from the sea, surrounded by high walls and with no doors at street level (meaning that the villages were entered only by ladders), in order to protect the sap.[clarification needed][citation needed]
Although the liqueur is much younger, it is still tied up with Greek history.[how?] Digestive liqueurs, similar to Mastichato (Mastika), but made with grapes, were known as Greek elixirs before the French Revolution.[clarification needed][citation needed]
The production of mastic was threatened by the Chios forest fire that destroyed some mastic groves in August 2012.
Producing the mastic resin is a whole-year process for the local growers. The harvest is known as kentos and takes place from the beginning of July to the beginning of October. First, the area around the trees is cleared and sprinkled with inert calcium carbonate. Then, every 4–5 days, 5–10 incisions are made in the bark of each tree to release the resin. As these clear drops hang from the tree, and sparkle in the sunlight, they are said to resemble crystalline teardrops; for this reason, the mastic resin is known as the "tears of Chios". It takes about 15–20 days for the first resin crystals to harden and fall to the ground. The farmers then collect the pieces of dry mastic and wash them in natural spring water, and spend most of the winter cleaning and separating the tears from the sand. This cleaning process is performed by hand and is regulated by the legislative framework of the Mastic Growers' Association. In addition to mastic, mastic oil is also produced.
As of 2024[update] there are twenty-four mastichochoria, or mastic villages, on the island of Chios dedicated to the cultivation and production of mastic. The designation "Masticha Chiou" ("Khios mastic") is protected by a European Union protected designation of origin (PDO).
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Mastic (plant resin)
Mastic (Greek: Μαστίχα) is a resin obtained from the mastic tree (Pistacia lentiscus). It is also known as tears of Chios, being traditionally produced on the island of Chios, and, like other natural resins, is produced in "tears" or droplets.
Mastic is excreted by the resin glands of the evergreen shrub Pistacia lentiscus and dries into pieces of brittle, translucent resin. When chewed, the resin softens and becomes bright white and opaque. The flavor is bitter at first, but after some chewing, it releases a refreshing flavor similar to pine and cedar.
Chios mastic has been used as a traditional medicine over the last 2,500 years.[better source needed] The word mastic is derived indirectly from Ancient Greek: μαστίχη, lit. 'mastic', which may be related to Ancient Greek: μασᾶσθαι, lit. 'chew'. The first mention of actual mastic 'tears' was by Hippocrates. Hippocrates used mastic for the prevention of digestive problems, colds and as a breath freshener.[citation needed] Romans used mastic along with honey, pepper, and egg in the spiced wine conditum paradoxum.[citation needed] Under the Byzantine Empire, the mastic trade became the Emperor's monopoly. In the Ottoman Empire, the Sultan gathered the finest mastic crop.[citation needed]
During the Ottoman rule of Chios, mastic was worth its weight in gold. Sakız Adası, the Turkish name for the island of Chios, means 'gum island'. The mastic villages are fortress-like, out of sight from the sea, surrounded by high walls and with no doors at street level (meaning that the villages were entered only by ladders), in order to protect the sap.[clarification needed][citation needed]
Although the liqueur is much younger, it is still tied up with Greek history.[how?] Digestive liqueurs, similar to Mastichato (Mastika), but made with grapes, were known as Greek elixirs before the French Revolution.[clarification needed][citation needed]
The production of mastic was threatened by the Chios forest fire that destroyed some mastic groves in August 2012.
Producing the mastic resin is a whole-year process for the local growers. The harvest is known as kentos and takes place from the beginning of July to the beginning of October. First, the area around the trees is cleared and sprinkled with inert calcium carbonate. Then, every 4–5 days, 5–10 incisions are made in the bark of each tree to release the resin. As these clear drops hang from the tree, and sparkle in the sunlight, they are said to resemble crystalline teardrops; for this reason, the mastic resin is known as the "tears of Chios". It takes about 15–20 days for the first resin crystals to harden and fall to the ground. The farmers then collect the pieces of dry mastic and wash them in natural spring water, and spend most of the winter cleaning and separating the tears from the sand. This cleaning process is performed by hand and is regulated by the legislative framework of the Mastic Growers' Association. In addition to mastic, mastic oil is also produced.
As of 2024[update] there are twenty-four mastichochoria, or mastic villages, on the island of Chios dedicated to the cultivation and production of mastic. The designation "Masticha Chiou" ("Khios mastic") is protected by a European Union protected designation of origin (PDO).
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