The mastiha tree is a trademark of Chios and the main source of income for many residents on the Greek island. Its cultivation started in ancient times as the trees produce a rare resin in the shape of teardrops, which is largely exported around the world.
But today, some old or abandoned mastiha trees on the island need a regeneration. This is where the new environmental project, ‘Adopt a Chios Mastiha tree,’ comes into the picture.
Launched in 2019 by Chios local, Lenia Ziglaki, the project aims to help Greek diaspora connect with the traditional process of mastiha cultivation, as well as ensure the future growth of the tree.
“The cultivation of Mastiha has been included by UNESCO in its list of the ‘Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity’,” the website reads.
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I visited the Mastichochoria (villages involved in the production of mastic) on the island of Chios three times in order to witness the most important moments in the production of this precious good that keeps the locals, whose lives revolve around it, busy during the whole year.
The first visit was during the month of June, when people clear a circular area around every mastic tree and sprinkle limestone powder on the ground inside the cleared radius. They do this so that later, when the resin from the tree falls on this bare ground and solidifies, it’s easier to collect.
I went back in August for the most important phase, which requires knowledge and experience: Locals call it “kentima,” the Greek word for “embroidery.”
Early every morning, they would carefully carve the tree trunks with a sharp tool, the “kentitiri” (or embroidery stiletto), to draw out the resin without hurting the trees. As I watched, it struck me how significant the relationship is between these people and their trees. “Kentima needs respect,” they say, and that’s why these mastic producers always do the job themselves.
In September, I returned to the island. This is when people collect the mastic “tears,” crouching under the trees and making their way around on their knees. In an effort to take part, I tried the same and began to feel pain, but didn’t dare say anything, as crouching next to me was an uncomplaining 80-year-old who undoubtedly would be doing this for many days to come.
For the next phase, the women take charge, washing the resin tears with soap and water and jiggling them – like a baby, as they say – over sieves, and finally eliminating any leftover foreign bodies with a small knife, so the mastic is as pure as possible when it gets to the cooperative. This last step requires teamwork. It begins as soon as the resin is harvested and lasts virtually the whole winter. Women go from house to house, working together in groups.
See more from Clairy Moustafellou here:
http://moustafellou.gr/gallery/chios-mastiha/
There’s a beautiful Greek island on the eastern edge of the Aegean Sea that is officially called Chios, but is unofficially known as “Mastiha Island.” The fifth largest among Greek islands, Chios is blessed with fertile land and a celebrated microclimate that allows islanders to grow a unique range of products, the most famous being – as its nickname suggests – mastiha (mastic), an aromatic resin produced by mastic trees.
The first references to mastiha on Chios can be found in the work of Herodotus, the ancient Greek historian, who, in the 5th century BC, described those trees that grew on the south side of the island and how the ancient Greeks collected their resin and chewed it, both for pleasure and hygienic purposes. In fact, mastiha has been described as the first chewing gum in history.
Ancient Greek healers like Hippocrates, Galinos and Dioskouridis praised mastiha, a natural antioxidant with strong anti-inflammatory and antimicrobial properties, for its medicinal and pharmaceutical uses and prescribed it widely as a cure for their patients, particularly those suffering from stomach and digestion problems as well as oral infections.
