2 ms·
It’s stretchy due to the addition of mastic gum. I had to look that up. Mastic is a resin obtained from the mastic tree (Pistacia lentiscus). In pharmacies and
by js2 8y ago
It’s stretchy due to the addition of mastic gum. I had to look that up.
Mastic is a resin obtained from the mastic tree (Pistacia lentiscus). In pharmacies and nature shops, it is called "Arabic gum" (not to be confused with gum arabic) and "Yemen gum". In Greece, it is known as the "tears of Chios," being traditionally produced on that Greek island, and, like other natural resins, is produced in "tears" or droplets.
Originally a sap, mastic is sun-dried into pieces of brittle, translucent resin. When chewed, the resin softens and becomes a bright white and opaque gum. The flavor is bitter at first, but after some chewing, it releases a refreshing, slightly pine or cedar-like flavor.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mastic_(plant_resin) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mastic_(plant_resin)
- ff317 8y agoIt also makes a nice liqueur: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mastika https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mastika
- kubiiii 8y agoI discovered it (the skinos brand) in greece this summer (Halkidiki-sithonia : magnificent beaches), just with an ice cube. Very unusual smell (reminiscent of pine trees) and very nice taste. I am still to find someone who dislikes it.
- judah 8y agoInteresting. That's probably where modern Hebrew takes its word for chewing gum: מסטיקים / "mastikim".
- WillPostForFood 8y agoProbably goes back to where the tree got its name, the Greek word, mastikhan, which means grind your teeth, and is the root for the English word masticate.
- patates 8y agoAccording to my favorite Armenian language-researcher[1] it descends from the so-called Proto-Indo-European language. Greek "mastíχi μαστίχη" meaning "gum plant" (?) comes from the same theoretical root. Turkish then apparently took it from the Greek as "mastika", which is a natural gum. There are various deserts made in Turkey with "sakız". Most famous of which is "Sakızlı Muhallebi" [2]. [1]: (Turkish) http://www.nisanyansozluk.com/?k=mastika&lnk=1 http://www.nisanyansozluk.com/?k=mastika&lnk=1 [2]: https://ozlemsturkishtable.com/2012/09/milk-pudding-with-mastic-gum-and-rhubarb-compote/ https://ozlemsturkishtable.com/2012/09/milk-pudding-with-mas...
- majos 8y agoThere's also a similar stretchy ice cream in Turkey called dondurma. It uses both mastic and salep, a flour made from orchid tubers.
- patates 8y agoDondurma just means "ice cream". What you mean is "Maraş Ice Cream" (Maraş Dondurması). It takes a lot of patience to get it from a traditional shop: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YYNhiv5FJ9Q https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YYNhiv5FJ9Q
- WalterSear 8y agoI've had it in Aleppo too, though that's about as notable as seeing a San Francisco chain store in LA.