The Tears of Chios: Mastiha, the Tree, the Resin, the Liqueur

There is a tree that weeps — and that weeping alone brought an entire island its wealth. The pistachio relative Pistacia lentiscus var. Chia grows almost exclusively in the south of the Greek island of Chios, in a narrow strip of land lovingly known as the "Mastichochoria," the mastic villages. Nowhere else in the world does it yield its precious resin this way — a mystery that still puzzles botanists today.

In late summer, when the heat is at its peak, the farmers of Chios score the bark of the trees with small knives. Resinous liquid seeps from the wounds, trickles slowly down the trunk, and dries in the sun into small, glassy tears — called dakrya in Greek. For weeks, families gather these drops by hand, a craft passed down from generation to generation since antiquity. Herodotus and Dioscorides already mentioned the resin of Chios, and in the Middle Ages it was so valuable that the Genoese controlled the entire island because of it.

And what do you do with these tears? You chew them — quite literally. The Greek word mastichao, "to grind with the teeth," is baked into the name itself, and it's even where the English word "mastication" comes from. The resin is the most original form of chewing gum, with a faintly woodsy, resinous-fresh flavor, traditionally chewed for digestion and oral health.

But mastiha also becomes something you drink instead of chew: mastiha liqueur. Clear, sweet, with a hint of pine forest and a delicate freshness on the finish — quite different from ouzo, softer, almost resinous-floral. On Chios, it's served ice-cold as an aperitif, often with a plate of meze on the side.

Only 12 days left until our Drachmen Fest on Tuesday, September 29 — live music, 1960s prices, and plenty of good cheer. We can't wait to see you!

If we named our restaurant "Mastiha," this is exactly why: because this small resin tells so much about Greece — about patience, about a craft that hasn't changed in centuries, and about the joy of sharing something simple with everyone. Come by, and we'll happily pour you a small glass of mastiha liqueur — and if you like, we'll tell you the whole story of the weeping trees of Chios while you sip it.

Your Mastiha Team