Africa

Mastic

Pistacia lentiscus resin, primarily from Chios, Greece, but used across North Africa via trade.

Dried resin (tears/crystals).

Part Used

Dried resin tears, ground to powder with sugar to prevent clumping before use.

Form

Miskeh / mistika (Arabic).

Tunisia, Libya, Morocco (via trade); its primary zone of production and use is the Middle East and Eastern Mediterranean.

Piney, resinous, faintly sweet with a chewy-gum aftertaste.

Thickener and flavoring for puddings, ice cream, and festive breads.

Mahalabia-style puddings; Tunisian mloukhia is sometimes finished with a trace of ground mastic in festive versions.

Rosewater, orange blossom, cardamom.

Grind with a little sugar or salt just before use to keep it from gumming the mortar.

Whole resin tears keep indefinitely in a sealed jar away from heat.

No true substitute for its texturizing and resinous flavor; omission is more common than substitution.

Almost all true mastic comes from Chios; North African use is entirely trade-dependent, making it one of the costlier items on this list.

Not a standard blend component.