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Chios mastic

Produced from the resin of Chios mastic trees found on the island of Chios in the Greek agean sea. There are 22 village in the soutern part of the island dedicated to the production of the resin which is extracted from trees.

Slight grooves are stategically carved on the tree trunk and branches which consist in removing the bark without affecting the underlying sapwood using a handheld cutting tool . Within five to ten days, the sap starts to drip from the scored areas of the tree. It falls to the groud which was prepared beforehand by cleaning and creating a surface covered in white earth called calcium carbonate. The droplets are left on the ground until mid-August when they are gathered by hand. By this time the droplets have hardened and are ready to be washed, sundried and categorized by size.

The dried pearls have medicinal qualities and are used for their antimicrobial, antianflammatory, and antioxydant properties. They are also used in confectionary and baking. The mastic adds a smoky-like flavour.

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