Mastic Gum Tears - Raw Mastic

Raw mastic gum, in its original form, is the resin crystals harvested from the mastic tree. The drops of resin are poetically called mastic tears, and the tree the “weeping tree”.

What is the best mastic gum to chew?

The answer is simple: original Chios mastic is the best. Mastic tears are the original form of the raw material known as “Chios mastic”. They are collected from the trunk, branches and the ground beneath the tree, then cleaned and sorted for direct use or processed into powder or oil.

What Chios mastic tears look like

Fresh resin drops are soft and transparent; they gradually harden and darken in the air. Once cleaned, the pieces are mostly amber — from brown through gold to almost transparent with a yellowish tinge.

The largest pieces are flat; the smallest are like small, smooth pearls. After harvest the tears vary greatly in size — from a few millimetres to pieces over 3 cm across — and are packed by crystal size.

Three sizes are used today (there used to be seven)

The texture is like other resins: some pieces are soft and sticky, others hard and brittle. It softens in heat, and cooling significantly reduces stickiness.

Chewing mastic gum tears

Chewing pieces of mastic is the original way to use this resin. If you really want to get to know mastic, you should try chewing it — mastic is the only truly natural chewing gum. Both the mastic itself and the way it is grown and harvested are completely natural.

Vegan Lactose-free Gluten-free

What is the hardest chewing gum?

It’s definitely mastic gum. Because it’s a firm, hard gum, it’s great for working the jaw muscles. Compared with factory-made gum, this all-natural resin is much harder, so chewing mastic gives the jaw muscles more of a workout — many people use it as part of a jawline routine.

Choosing authentic raw mastic tears

The Chios Gum Mastic Growers Association — the sole producer of Chios mastic — distributes raw mastic only in its own retail packaging, and does not allow partners to repackage or rebrand it. One reason is the protected designation of origin awarded to raw mastic and the name “Chios mastic”. So when buying raw tears, always choose packaging with a Chios producer’s design and the GI (geographical indication) logo. See also how to recognise original mastic.

Other uses of Chios mastic

Raw mastic and the powder made from it are used in many products. Mastic gum (the 100% natural resin of the mastic tree) is also processed into mastic powder — a food supplement that contributes to the normal function of the digestive system. Other uses include:

• food supplements
• confectionery
• liqueurs
• cosmetics
• and more

Orthodox incense

The natural, captivating scent of mastic also leads to its use as incense. In the Orthodox rite, on special occasions and holidays, grains of mastic are added to the censer as part of the incense mixture. It’s a touch extravagant — but even a small piece rewards you with a wonderful aroma.

Frequently asked questions

Experience mastic in its purest form — authentic Chios tears, by size.