FLAVOR FACTOR By Davies Rhiannon Rhiannon

Mastic Tears Of A Tree

TO COLLECT s slashes are made into is mainly on Chios where they have THE SAP, their trunk, the trees begin cause to weep. Chios is the fifth largest ‘HURTS’ ARE to weep, their shimmering of the Greek islands but lies just seven tears dripping down onto kilometers away from Çeşme, on the MADE INTO carefully placed mats, Turkish coast. In this dedicated mastic THE TRUNK whereA they harden in the summer sun. growing area, the language used for the AND MAIN You may have thought that weeping harvesting is somewhat emotional. To trees belong only to the fantastical collect the sap, ‘hurts’ are made into BRANCHES realms of Lord Of The Rings, but this the tree, and the resin is collected after AND THE RESIN process is repeated on one particular it ‘weeps’ ‘tears.’ Known in Turkey as IS COLLECTED Aegean island each year, causing a damla sakızı and as mastic in English, unique aroma to fill the air. the ingredient almost possesses After IT Although the Pistacia Lentiscus tree mythical properties. ‘WEEPS’ ‘TEARS’ grows across Mediterranean Europe, it

114 THE GUIDE ISTANBUL - NOVEMBER - DECEMBER 2013 History buy it in packets from Kahve Dünyası to make at home.) With production being confined to such If you have a particularly sweet tooth a small geographic area, mastic has been and want to enjoy mastic at its best, an important source of wealth for Chios it’s worth taking a trip to Üç Yıldız throughout history, since the beginning Şekerlemecisi, one of Beyoğlu’s oldest of its cultivation around 250AD. In the sweet shops. Founded in 1926, this absence of dental hygienists, mastic nostalgic store stocks mastic in a variety PLACE A was used by the Ancient Greeks as a of forms: their mastic flavored Turkish SPOONFUL OF chewing gum and later by the Romans Delight is soft, subtle, and beyond THIS SWEET as toothpicks. When Chios was heavenly. You can also buy it as beyaz INTO A GLASS absorbed into the Ottoman Empire, the tatlı (white sweet), a thick viscous OF ICE COLD Sultans introduced it into their harems mastic preserve that was previously WATER AS as a breath freshener. It consequently consumed as a traditional ‘spoon TO MAKE A found its way into Turkish cuisine. sweet,’ in tea gardens on the Bosphorus REFRESHING The chewy properties of this unusual and in nearby islands. Traditionally, ‘SUBMARINE’ ingredient and its popularity across the they were served in special crystal glass DESSERT. Middle East mean that is also known as and spoon sets, but this is seldom seen ‘Arabic Gum.’ in Turkey today. Place a spoonful of this Taste & Texture sweet into a glass of ice cold water as to make a refreshing ‘submarine’ dessert. Mastic has a distinctive flavor that’s You can buy it online from: easy to recognize but harder to www.ucyildizsekerleme.com describe. Evergreen notes of cedar and pine combined with anise-like Health minty freshness brings a delicate aromatic flavor to recipes where mastic Benefits is allowed to shine. But, it is just as On top of often used in recipes for the texture it its flavor creates. In Turkish gastronomy it is the and texture, secret ingredient that gives the unique mastic also texture to Turkish delight and maraş contains many dondurması (the Turkish chewy ice purported health cream that vendors like to play tricks benefits. These with). It is also used in milk puddings range from having such as sütlaç, tavuk göğsü, and as a cholesterol-lowering key ingredient in sakızlı muhallebi. effects, to relieving digestive upsets Where To Find It to increasing blood circulation. You can buy mastic ‘tears’ from aktars It is also used by (spice shops) and find it amongst some as a sealant the heavily fragranced Mısır Çarşısı over wounds, an (Spice Bazaar). Pop one of them in ointment for burns and your mouth, and chew. Once you get as an insect repellent. past the initial bitter flavor and crunchy It can allegedly improve texture, you’ll be enjoying the original dental hygiene by fighting chewing gum. The other option is to bacteria and for that reason grind the tears into a powder for use in is included in some toothpaste the milk puddings mentioned above. and mouthwashes. For a simpler option, look out for damla sakızlı türk kahvesi (Turkish coffee with mastic) on café menus to get a WANT MORE MASTIC? THEN CHECK OUT OUR TOP 7 MASTIC LIST ON very Ottoman taste; this can be found at www.theguıdeıstanbul.com cafes such Kahve Dünyası, but also in smaller coffee specialists. (You can also

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