Mastic

Where it comes from

Mastic is the resin of Pistacia lentiscus, a low evergreen in the cashew family. A particular variety, P. lentiscus var. Chia, grows commercially on the southern half of the Greek island of Chios — and effectively nowhere else with the same yield. The trunk is slashed each summer; the sap “tears” run, harden, and are collected in baskets.

Flavor & pairing

Mastic is faintly piney and cedar-fresh, slightly bitter, with citrus high notes. The flavor is unique — somewhere between juniper, eucalyptus, and a clean pine forest. It plays beautifully with dairy, almonds, pistachios, citrus, and rosewater.

How it’s used

Greek salepi and kaimaki ice cream get their characteristic chew from ground mastic. Turkish delight (lokum), Egyptian meghli, and Lebanese ma’amoul all use it. Greek mastiha liqueur is a digestif on the island. Sephardic Jewish kitchens scatter ground mastic into bread doughs.

Trade history

Chian mastic has been a protected designation since Roman times and earned a coveted EU PDO in 1997.