Culinary and
halva with mastic In the
Eastern Mediterranean, mastic is commonly used in
brioches, ice cream, and other desserts. In the
Levant, mastic is added to
booza (
Levantine ice cream), and in Turkey, mastic is widely used in desserts such as
Turkish delight and
dondurma, in puddings such as
sütlaç,
salep,
tavuk göğsü,
mamelika, and in soft drinks. Mastic syrup is added to
Turkish coffee on the Aegean coast. In Greece, mastic is used in liqueurs such as Mastika (or Mastichato), in a
spoon sweet known as a "submarine" (), in beverages, chewing gum, sweets, desserts, breads and cheese. It is also used to stabilise
loukoumi and ice cream. In the
Maghreb, mastic is used mainly in cakes, sweets, and pastries and as a stabilizer in
meringue and
nougat. In Morocco, mastic is used in the preparation of smoked foods. One of the earliest uses of mastic was as
chewing gum. Mastic (מסטיק) is the colloquial
Hebrew word for chewing gum.
In religion Some scholars identify the
bakha mentioned in the
Bible with the mastic plant.
Bakha appears to be derived from , weeping, and is thought to refer to the "tears" of resin secreted by the mastic plant. Ancient
Jewish halachic sources indicate mastic as a treatment for bad breath: "Mastic is not chewed on
Shabbat. When [is it forbidden to chew mastic on Shabbat]? When the intention is medicinal. If it is used for bad breath, it is permissible." Mastic is an essential ingredient of
chrism, the holy oil used for
anointing by the
Eastern Orthodox Churches.
Research In February 2016, the
European Medicines Agency (EMA) published the final assessment of
Pistacia lentiscus L. resin. The EMA concluded that the available clinical studies, though numerous, were too small and methodologically weak to support a "well-established use" designation for mastic resin. These studies primarily investigated its oral (as a sole agent) and cutaneous applications (in combination with other products). Despite these shortcomings, the EMA found that these studies did not raise any significant safety concerns, thus supporting the traditional use of mastic. The assessment highlighted that mastic has been part of traditional and folk medicine for more than 30 years in several countries such as
Iraq,
Turkey,
Japan,
South Korea, the
United States, and particularly, within the European Union, in Greece. Considering this long-standing use, the EMA deemed the requirements for traditional medicinal products according to Directive 2001/83/EC to be fulfilled for the medicinal use of powdered mastic. The EMA reports also note the
antimicrobial activity of mastic in non-clinical in vitro studies and its particular effectiveness against
Helicobacter pylori. Based on these findings, the EMA approved the use of powdered mastic as a traditional herbal medicinal product for two indications: • treatment of mild
dyspeptic disorders in adults and the elderly • for the symptomatic treatment of minor
skin inflammations and aid in healing minor
wounds The agency stipulated that due to the lack of sufficient data, the use of mastic in
children, during
pregnancy, and
lactation is not recommended.
Other uses Mastic is used in some
varnishes. Mastic varnish was used to protect and preserve photographic negatives. Mastic is also used in perfumes, cosmetics, soap, body oils, and body lotion. In
ancient Egypt, mastic was used in embalming. In its hardened form, mastic can be used, like
frankincense or
Boswellia resin, to produce incense. Within
perfumery, the aroma of mastic is described as balsamic, terpenic, green, spicy, juniper, and woody. == See also ==