Pure Chios Mastiha | Natural Oleoresin • Southern Chios, Greece
Pistacia lentiscus var. Chia: Large Superior Tears, hand-selected and hand-cleaned.
Location and Growing Variables
Biotope
An exclusive endemism and a Protected Designation of Origin: Mastiha is an exceptional oleoresin from the variety Pistacia lentiscus var. Chia, a tree that secretes this aromatic sap in only one place on the planet — the south of the island of Chios, in the Aegean Sea. Protected by a strict PDO, this substance is the object of an ancestral savoir-faire inscribed on UNESCO's Intangible Cultural Heritage list. Despite many attempts throughout history, the tree refuses to yield its resin if transplanted beyond its native terroir, making this volcanic soil and its preserved medieval villages the exclusive cradle of an absolute botanical rarity.
Harvest
The ultimate grade of crystalline ‘Great Tears’: what distinguishes this 20 g lot is a drastic selection of the harvest's highest grade, the Great Tears. After a meticulous incision of the bark at the end of summer, the sap flows and weeps onto ground previously covered with inert white earth. Drying in the sea wind, it forms rigid, translucent drops. This lot excludes entirely leaf debris, rock dust and small agglomerated tears. Each piece is cleaned by hand in pure water, then calibrated.
Technical Data and Processing
Scientific Name
Pistacia lentiscus var. Chia.
Common Name
Chios Mastiha, Tears of Chios, pure mastic.
Origin
Southern Chios, Greece (exclusive PDO zone).
Part Used
Natural oleoresin (dried sap).
Selection Grade
Large Superior Tears, hand-selected and hand-cleaned.
Format
20 g (a perfect airy volume, calibrated to fill your 80 ml jar to half height).
Organoleptic Characteristics
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Appearance & TextureAngular, semi-translucent tears, ivory to very pale yellow in color, with a hard, glassy texture that becomes malleable when chewed.
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Appearance in the lightHeld to the light, these ivory-white tears reveal a crystalline, brittle texture.
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Aromatic SpectrumAn initial fragrance that is intensely woody, resinous and fresh, evolving towards subtle notes of pine and citrus.
Brewing Parameters
01
Traditional use (chewing): Take a large tear and place it in the mouth. Let it moisten and warm for a few moments without biting, then press it gently between the teeth. The crystalline resin will come together to form an entirely natural chewing gum, white and opaque. It is chewed for several hours, in the manner of a natural gum, gradually releasing its resinous aromas.
02
Use in Herbalism / Cooking: To infuse it or add it to preparations, place a few tears in the freezer for 10 minutes (to make them highly brittle), then grind them finely in a mortar with a pinch of sugar or salt to keep them from clumping under friction.
03
Fumigation: Placed on a candle diffuser, it melts slowly, releasing a fragrance of absolute clarity: balsamic, green and purifying.
04
Precautions for use: A pure, raw product intended for adults. The glass jar must be kept hermetically sealed in a cool place (ideally below 20 °C) and perfectly dry. At high temperatures, the tears may soften and fuse together.
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