kernel of a small kind of cherry native to Iran,
Prunus mahaleb. The kernels have a warm
aroma vaguely suggestive of bitter almond,
and are used to flavor baked goods and sweets
in much of the eastern Mediterranean.
Mastic Mastic is a resin exuded from the
trunk of a relative of the pistachio, Pistacia
lentiscus, a tree native to the Eastern
Mediterranean that now grows only on the
Greek island of Chios. Mastic was chewed
like chewing gum (hence its name, from the
same root as masticate), and is also used to
flavor various preparations, from breads and
pastries to ice cream, candies, and alcohol
(ouzo). The main aromatic components of the
gum are two terpenes, pine-like pinene and
woody myrcene. Myrcene is also the molecule
from which the long resin polymers are built.
The resin is not very soluble in water, so it
must be ground fine and mixed with another
powdery ingredient (flour, sugar) to help