Mastic gum

Reputed to be the world’s first chewing gum, mastic gum is a resin secreted by the mastic tree, traditionally grown on the Greek island of Chios, and it has some powerful healing properties.

Words DR KAREN BRIDGMAN

The mastic tree (Pistacia lentiscus) is a dense perennial growing to about five metres over 40 to 50 years, with a lifecycle of about 100 years. The resin is secreted in droplets or “tears”, being also called the “tears of Chios”. When secreted it dries into a brittle, translucent resin that on being chewed softens and becomes a white gum. Initially the flavour is bitter, but on chewing it becomes refreshing and tastes like pine or cedar. The resin production begins in the tree’s fifth year, reaching a maximum yield of one kilogram after 12 years. The name mastic is derived from the Greek word “to gnash the teeth”, and is the root of the English word “masticate”. Mastic gum has been harvested for at least 2500 years, and the first…

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WellBeing (Digital) - 1 Issue, Issue 203

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