Mastika facts for kids
Mastika or mastiha is a special sweet drink. It gets its unique taste from a natural gum called mastic. This gum comes from the mastic tree, a small evergreen tree that grows around the Mediterranean Sea. The mastic gum has a flavor that reminds people of pine trees or cedar wood.
In Greece, especially on the island of Chios, this drink is called mastiha (Greek: μαστίχα) or mastichato (Greek: μαστιχάτο). It's made by distilling the hard, crystal-like mastic resin. Sugar is usually added to make it sweet. People often drink it after a meal. It has a special taste, like pine and other herbs. Some people believe it can help with digestion.
In August 2012, big wildfires happened on the island of Chios. These fires burned over 31,000 acres of land. More than half of the mastic tree farms on the island were destroyed. Mastic from Chios has a special status called "protected designation of origin" from the European Union. This means it can only be called "Chios Mastic" if it comes from Chios. Because of the fires, local farmers lost about 60 percent of their crops. This also affected the supply of mastic around the world.
History of Mastic
People have been collecting mastic for a very long time, at least 2,500 years! The ancient Greeks knew about it. The famous doctor Hippocrates was the first to write about mastic "tears." He thought mastic could help prevent tummy problems and colds. He also said it could make breath smell better.
Ancient Roman emperors also used mastic. They mixed it with honey, pepper, and egg in a spiced wine called conditum paradoxum. Before the French Revolution, there were other sweet drinks like Mastiha in Greece. These were called Greek elixirs, but they were made from grapes instead of mastic.
See also
In Spanish: Mastika para niños
