Description

Pistacia lentiscus, the mastic tree, is an evergreen shrub of the family Anacardiaceae native to the Mediterranean basin, with the highest-grade aromatic resin produced exclusively on the Greek island of Chios under protected geographical indication. The tree exudes a clear, brittle resin from natural or induced bark wounds that hardens into transparent, tear-shaped pieces with a distinctive pine-like, slightly cedar-scented aroma. Known in Unani medicine as Mastagi Rumi and documented in Avicenna’s Al-Qanun fi al-Tibb, it has been traditionally incorporated into formulations addressing gastric conditions, dental health, and hepatic tone. Used in Ottoman confectionery and liqueur traditions as well as in compound Ayurvedic and Unani preparations, mastic has attracted phytochemical interest for its triterpene content.