Mastic, Mastiha

My favorite Greek flavor + Thanksgiving Recap

Nov 28, 2023

I hope you all had a lovely Thanksgiving (and for all of you non-Americans then I hope you had a lovely Thursday nonetheless). Just a gentle reminder that starting December 1st I’ll be sending out a daily Flavor Advent Calendar email if you’re a paid subscriber as a little token of my appreciation. I was going to save this specific flavor for a day in the Advent Calendar but I had already written all 12 days... I’m just really excited about it ok?!

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Instagram got a heavy dose of Thanksgiving content this year…

This year, I celebrated Thanksgiving in France with my parents, my whacky dog Tomate, and lots of delicious French x Greek x American mish mash food (and drink). Whenever I celebrate Thanksgiving at the mills, I wait until the very last second to create a menu because it really all depends on what the garden has in store for me. This year, we didn’t have some of the Thanksgiving essentials but we improvised and had quite a delicious meal.

A Greek Surprise

Right before the holiday, my mom had just been in Greece and brought me back some of my favorite Greek goodies… Considering it’s the title of this newsletter, you’ve probably guessed that she brought me mastic, or mastiha in Greek.

I’ve realized since many of you may not have heard of it, that it would be a good topic for this week’s newsletter. It’s one of my favorite flavors ever and has the most fun, sticky, and chewy texture so let’s get into it!

Mastiha - What Is It?

Mastiha, or mastic in English, is a plant resin from the mastic tree, an evergreen tree that grows in Greece. It is specifically bountiful in Chios, the island where my grandma is from! So not only do I love it because it’s piney in flavor but also because I am LOYAL.

On my 23rd birthday, I was living in Athens as I was working on a TV show filming around Greece. I had the weekend off, my mom surprised me in Athens and we hopped over to Chios, the home of mastiha and my grandmother for 24 hours! I never had the chance to meet my Yiayia so this trip to the island meant the world to me. There, I was also able to visit the Mastiha Museum and plantation… Best birthday ever?

Mastic gums are also known as the tears of Chios* but don’t you worry, there are only happy tears here. The reason for this name is because of how it is harvested: the resin is extracted from the tree and forms a little droplet which hardens. Once it dries, it becomes a small white and hard gum which is then used in many different applications.

*Hippocrates is actually attributed to being the first person to call them tears!

shoutout to Aggelos1357 for this great pic

The word mastic comes from the Greek, μαστιχάειν (masticháein), which directly translates to “gnash the teeth”. It has been harvested in Greece for over 2500 years and used medicinally since then. On top of its flavor, mastic is fantastic as it really quells any stomach and digestive sensitivities. As someone who has been in and out of the hospital because of this, the one calming agent that has ever always worked for me is mastic in all shapes and forms.

The mastic harvest, also known as kentos, takes place from July to October. A few times a week, incisions are made in the bark of each tree which releases the resin and allows it to drip out and form a tear.

Flavor

Its flavor is a mix between cedar and pine - it’s earthy, yet fresh? I enjoy it oh so very much. To match its deliciously sweet and savory flavor is it’s gummy texture. It adds elasticity to anything creamy whilst still keeping it smooth.

There are so many different ways to enjoy mastic flavor and I am on a quest to try it in every form.

Some applications:

Plain: My grandma supposedly used to chew on the resin droplets as if they were chewing gum. I’ve been doing it since whenever I have some at home and it’s addictive to say the least!
Ice cream: sticky, gummy, absolutely delicious. Have you ever tried the Lebanese ice cream called Booza? The reason it has that sticky texture is because there is mastic in it! Mastiha is not only common in Greece but around the surrounding regions.
One of my favorite ice cream shops in Paris - “Bachir” in the 9th. This is Achta, orange blossom ice cream coated in pistachio.
Liqueur: great after dinner drink, helps with digestion, I always have some at my house (whether I’m at my flat in London or at the Mills in France) in case I have a stomach ache. It’s a lifesaver. Let’s just say I finished the bottle below in the week I was back in France for Thanksgiving…

Gum: I love the brand Elma! The plain and cinnamon flavored ones are my top 2.

Coffee: It gives the coffee a whole mouth experience if that makes any sense? It coats your tastebuds with a nice sweet finish.
Paste: The common way to eat the paste is to put it on a spoon and dip it in water. It becomes a little lollipop! It’s also a really fun addition to bakes.
Chocolate: I find it contrasts nicely with dark chocolate since it’s quite sweet and earthy.
Baking: Every year for Greek Easter, we make tsoureki which is a sweet Easter bread. It has a nice chewy texture due to the addition of mastiha! I’ll be sure to share my Grandma’s recipe next year during the holiday season.