Mastic gum

Description:Mastic gum is principally used either as a flavouring or for its gum properties, as in mastic chewing gum.As a spice, it continues to be used in Greece to flavour spirits and liquors (such as Chios's native drinks of Mastichato and mastica), chewing gum, and a number of cakes, pastries, spoon sweets, and desserts. Sometimes it is even used in making cheese.Mastic resin is a key ingredient in Dondurma (Turkish ice cream) and Turkish puddings, giving those confections their unusual texture and bright whiteness. In Lebanon and Egypt the spice is used to flavour many dishes, ranging from soups to meats to desserts, while in Morocco smoke from the resin is used to flavour water. In Turkey mastic is used as a flavor of Turkish delight. Recently, a mastic flavoured fizzy drink has also been launched, called "Mast".Mastic resin is a key ingredient in Greek festival breads, for example, the sweet bread tsoureki and the traditional New Year's Vasilopita. Furthermore, mastic is also essential to myron, the holy oil used for chrismation by the Orthodox Churches.