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| '''Chios Mastiha''' ({{lang-el|Μαστίχα}}), not to be confused with ], is a Greek premium liqueur made from the natural resin of the '']'' tree, a small evergreen shrub that grows to about two to three meters on rocky terrain on the southern part of the island of ]. This tree takes fifty years to reach maturity, and can be harvested for mastiha from its fifth year onwards. Although variations of the Mastiha tree can be found around the ], the species that produces the aromatic mastiha sap only grows in the southern part of Chios. | |||
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| Chios Mastiha is the only variant of mastic liqueur that has been granted ] (PDO) in the ].<ref>http://ec.europa.eu/agriculture/quality/door/list.html;comboName=Masticha%20Chiou</ref> The approximately five thousand mastiha growers are united under the ]. | |||
| a ] obtained from the mastic tree Pistacia lentiscus. In pharmacies and nature shops, it is called "Arabic gum" (not to be confused with ]) and "]". In ], it is known as the "tears of ]," being traditionally produced on that Greek island, and, like other natural resins, is produced in "tears" or droplets. | |||
| ==History== | |||
| The exploitation of actual Mastiha 'tears' (the sap of the tree) has been existing for 2,500 years, dating back to Greek Antiquity. The first mention of the mastiha 'tears' was by ]. Hippocrates used mastiha for the prevention of digestive problems, colds and as a breath freshener. | |||
| Roman emperors started using mastiha to make cocktails by mixing it with honey, pepper, egg and red wine (''] Paradoxum''). Under the Byzantine Empire, the trade of mastiha was made the emperor’s monopoly. In the Ottoman Empire, the sultan gathered the finest Mastiha crop to send it to his harem. | |||
| At present, there are twenty-four 'Mastiha villages' (“Mastihohoria”) on the island of ], which have been dedicated to the cultivation and production of Mastiha since the Byzantine era (1346 AC). These villages have been designed like fortresses (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 from invaders. Although the liqueur is much younger, it is still tied up with Greek history. Digestive liqueurs, similar to Mastiha but made with grapes, were known as the Greek elixirs before the French Revolution. | |||
| ==Harvesting process== | |||
| Producing the mastiha resin is a whole-year process for the local growers. The harvest is known as ''kentos'' and starts at the summer when local growers start clearing the area beneath the trees, and create a chalky protective bed for the sap using a fine white sand (argil), which they carry from a different part of the island. They then make small incisions in the mastiha tree trunk and branches to release the sap. As these clear drops hang from the tree, and sparkle in the sunlight, they are said to resemble crystalline teardrops; for this reason, the mastiha sap is known as the “tears of Chios”. From the early summer it takes about 15-20 days for the first sap crystals to harden and fall to the argil bed. The farmers then wash the tears 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 Mastiha Growers’ Association. | |||
| ==Commerce== | |||
| ] | |||
| Within the European Union, mastic production in Chios is granted ]. The island's mastic production is controlled by a co-operative of medieval villages, collectively known as the ']' (Μαστιχοχώρια), which is also located in southern Chios. There is even a small Museum of Mastic in the village of Pyrgi. | |||
| Traditionally there has also been limited production of mastic on the ] peninsula, on the ] coast only eight nautical miles from Chios, with similar ecological conditions suitable for mastic production.<ref>{{cite web|author=Gönderen Burçin ÇOKUYSAL |url=http://burcincokuysal.blogspot.com/2010/01/ecologic-evaluation-of-pistacia.html |title=Prof.Dr. Burçin ÇOKUYSAL: ECOLOGIC EVALUATION OF Pistacia lentiscus (MASTIC) IN ÇEŞME PENINSULA |publisher=Burcincokuysal.blogspot.com |date=1923-03-20 |accessdate=2013-06-18}}</ref> The Turkish Foundation for Combating Soil Erosion, for Reforestation and the Protection of Natural Habitats ] has been leading a project to protect the native mastic trees and to plant new ones in Çeşme peninsula to revive viable commercial production. As part of this project, which is expected to last through 2016, over 3,000 mastic tree saplings were planted between 2008 and October 2011 to over 368 acres (149 hectares) of dedicated farm land provided by the ].<ref>{{cite web|author=TEMA Foundation|URL=http://www.tema.org.tr/web_14966-2_1/entitialfocus.aspx?primary_id=501&type=2&target=categorial1&detail=single&sp_table=&sp_primary=&sp_table_extra=&openfrom=sortial|title=Sakız Ağaçlarına Sevgi Aşılıyoruz Projesi’nde yeni bir dönem başlıyor|accessdate=2014-06-06}}</ref> | |||
| The harvest takes place from the beginning of July to the beginning of October. First, the area around the tree is cleared and sprinkled with inert ]. Then, every 4–5 days, 5-10 incisions are made in the bark of each tree. The resin flows from the incisions and solidifies on the ground. The pieces of dry mastic can then be collected for cleaning and eventual sale. In addition to mastic, mastic oil is also produced. | |||
| ===Imitations and substitutes=== | |||
| The rarity of mastic and the difficulty of its production make it expensive. As a result, imitations in the form of other resins appear in the market, sold as "mastic," such as ] or gum arabic. Other trees, such as '']'', can also produce a resin similar to mastic. Yet other substances, such as ] tree resin and ] tree resin, are sometimes used in place of mastic.{{Citation needed|date=March 2010}} | |||
| ==Medicinal use== | |||
| ]'']] | |||
| Mastic has been used as a medicine since antiquity and is still used in ] of the Middle East. In ancient Greece, it was given as a remedy for snakebite, and, in India and Persia, it was used to fill dental cavities. The first-century Greek physician ] mentions the healing properties of mastic in his book ''De Materia Medica''. ] wrote that the mastic is good for prevention of digestive problems and colds, and ] suggested that mastic was useful for bronchitis and for improving the condition of the blood. In medieval times, mastic was highly valued by sultans' harems as a breath freshener and a tooth whitener. | |||
| Mastic contains antioxidants and also has antibacterial and antifungal properties.<ref>{{cite journal |vauthors=Koutsoudaki C, Krsek M, Rodger A |title=Chemical composition and antibacterial activity of the essential oil and the gum of Pistacia lentiscus Var. chia |journal=Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry |volume=53 |issue=20 |pages=7681–5 |date=October 2005 |pmid=16190616 |doi=10.1021/jf050639s}}</ref> A ] study published in the '']'' claims that mastic can cure ]s by killing '']'' bacteria.<ref>{{cite journal |vauthors=Huwez FU, Thirlwell D, Cockayne A, Ala'Aldeen DA |title=Mastic gum kills Helicobacter pylori |journal=The New England Journal of Medicine |volume=339 |issue=26 |page=1946 |date=December 1998 |pmid=9874617 |doi=10.1056/NEJM199812243392618}}</ref> Other studies have indicated that mastic has only a modest ability to eliminate ''H. pylori'' but have also suggested that refining mastic by removing the polymer ] may make the active components, particularly isomasticadienolic acid, more available and effective.<ref>{{cite journal |vauthors=Paraschos S, Magiatis P, Mitakou S, etal |title=In vitro and in vivo activities of Chios mastic gum extracts and constituents against Helicobacter pylori |journal=Antimicrobial Agents and Chemotherapy |volume=51 |issue=2 |pages=551–9 |date=February 2007 |pmid=17116667 |pmc=1797732 |doi=10.1128/AAC.00642-06}}</ref> Mastic may also have some value in preventing tooth decay<ref>{{cite journal |vauthors=Aksoy A, Duran N, Koksal F |title=In vitro and in vivo antimicrobial effects of mastic chewing gum against Streptococcus mutans and mutans streptococci |journal=Archives of Oral Biology |volume=51 |issue=6 |pages=476–81 |date=June 2006 |pmid=16343417 |doi=10.1016/j.archoralbio.2005.11.003}}</ref> and gingivitis<ref>{{cite journal |vauthors=Takahashi K, Fukazawa M, Motohira H, Ochiai K, Nishikawa H, Miyata T |title=A pilot study on antiplaque effects of mastic chewing gum in the oral cavity |journal=Journal of Periodontology |volume=74 |issue=4 |pages=501–5 |date=April 2003 |pmid=12747455 |doi=10.1902/jop.2003.74.4.501}}</ref> as chewing mastic reduces oral bacteria. | |||
| One study found that high consumption of Chios mastic powder results in decreased levels of total serum cholesterol, LDL, total cholesterol/HDL ratio, lipoprotein (a), apolipoprotein A-1, apolipoprotein B, ], ], and ].<ref>{{Cite journal | last1 = Triantafyllou | first1 = A. | last2 = Chaviaras | first2 = N. | last3 = Sergentanis | first3 = T. N. | last4 = Protopapa | first4 = E. | last5 = Tsaknis | first5 = J. | title = Chios mastic gum modulates serum biochemical parameters in a human population | journal = Journal of Ethnopharmacology | volume = 111 | issue = 1 | pages = 43–49 | year = 2007 | pmid = 17150319 | doi = 10.1016/j.jep.2006.10.031}}</ref> Mastic oil is widely used in the preparation of ointments for skin disorders and afflictions. In the past, it was also used in the manufacture of ]s. | |||
| == References == | |||
| <references/> | |||
| == See also == | |||
| * ] | |||
| * ] | |||
| == External links == | |||
| * - UK Mastiha importing company | |||
| * | |||
| ] | ] | ||
| ] | ] | ||
| ] | |||
| ] | ] | ||
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