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Chios Mastiha

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See also: Mastika

Mastic shrub — Pistacia lentiscus

Chios Mastiha (Template:Lang-el), not to be confused with Mastika, is a Greek liqueur made from the natural resin of the Pistacia lentiscus tree, a small evergreen shrub that grows to about two to three meters on rocky terrain on the southern part of the island of Chios. 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 Mediterranean Sea, the species that produces the aromatic mastiha sap only grows in the southern part of Chios.

Chios Mastiha is the only variant of mastic liqueur that has been granted Protected Designation of Origin (PDO) in the European Union. The approximately five thousand mastiha growers are united under the Chios Gum Mastic Growers Association.

History

The exploitation of the sap of the gum tree has been existing for 2,500 years, dating back to Greek Antiquity. The first mention of actual mastiha 'tears' was by Hippocrates. 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 (Conditum 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 Chios, 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 (kentos)

Mastic tears

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

A single drop of mastic hangs from the underside of this branch on a mastic tree.

Within the European Union, mastic production in Chios is granted protected designation of origin. The island's mastic production is controlled by a co-operative of medieval villages, collectively known as the 'Mastichochoria' (Μαστιχοχώρια), which is also located in southern Chios. There is a small Museum of Mastic in the village of Pyrgi. The local producers are united under the Mastiha Growers Association.

Chios Gum Mastic Growers Association

Founded in 1938, the Chios Gum Mastic Growers Association is the collective representative organ of twenty primary cooperatives founded in the twenty-four mastiha villages (Mastichochoria) of southern Chios. With around 4,500 members, it has the exclusive management of natural Chios Mastiha in Greece and abroad.

The organisation is mainly involved with the management of the agricultural production, supporting local growers, stimulating research, and providing legal assistance.

Imitations and substitutes

See also: False mastic

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 Boswellia or gum arabic. Other trees, such as Pistacia palaestina, can also produce a resin similar to mastic. Yet other substances, such as pine tree resin and almond tree resin, are sometimes used in place of mastic.

Medicinal use

Main article: mastic (plant resin)

Mastic has been used as a medicine since antiquity and is still used in traditional folk medicine 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 Pedanius Dioscorides mentions the healing properties of mastic in his book De Materia Medica. Hippocrates wrote that the mastic is good for prevention of digestive problems and colds, and Galenus 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. A Nottingham University study published in the New England Journal of Medicine claims that mastic can cure peptic ulcers by killing Helicobacter pylori bacteria. 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 poly-β-myrcene may make the active components, particularly isomasticadienolic acid, more available and effective. Mastic may also have some value in preventing tooth decay and gingivitis 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, ALT, AST, and GGT. 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 adhesive bandages.

References

  1. http://ec.europa.eu/agriculture/quality/door/list.html;comboName=Masticha%20Chiou
  2. "Mastiha Growers Association". Retrieved 2016-06-20.
  3. Koutsoudaki C, Krsek M, Rodger A (October 2005). "Chemical composition and antibacterial activity of the essential oil and the gum of Pistacia lentiscus Var. chia". Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry. 53 (20): 7681–5. doi:10.1021/jf050639s. PMID 16190616.
  4. Huwez FU, Thirlwell D, Cockayne A, Ala'Aldeen DA (December 1998). "Mastic gum kills Helicobacter pylori". The New England Journal of Medicine. 339 (26): 1946. doi:10.1056/NEJM199812243392618. PMID 9874617.
  5. Paraschos S, Magiatis P, Mitakou S, et al. (February 2007). "In vitro and in vivo activities of Chios mastic gum extracts and constituents against Helicobacter pylori". Antimicrobial Agents and Chemotherapy. 51 (2): 551–9. doi:10.1128/AAC.00642-06. PMC 1797732. PMID 17116667.
  6. Aksoy A, Duran N, Koksal F (June 2006). "In vitro and in vivo antimicrobial effects of mastic chewing gum against Streptococcus mutans and mutans streptococci". Archives of Oral Biology. 51 (6): 476–81. doi:10.1016/j.archoralbio.2005.11.003. PMID 16343417.
  7. Takahashi K, Fukazawa M, Motohira H, Ochiai K, Nishikawa H, Miyata T (April 2003). "A pilot study on antiplaque effects of mastic chewing gum in the oral cavity". Journal of Periodontology. 74 (4): 501–5. doi:10.1902/jop.2003.74.4.501. PMID 12747455.
  8. Triantafyllou, A.; Chaviaras, N.; Sergentanis, T. N.; Protopapa, E.; Tsaknis, J. (2007). "Chios mastic gum modulates serum biochemical parameters in a human population". Journal of Ethnopharmacology. 111 (1): 43–49. doi:10.1016/j.jep.2006.10.031. PMID 17150319.

See also

External links

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