Steenbergs Mastic 13g

Description

Mastic comes from from the mastic plant on the Island of Chios in Greece and is a protected product. Tears of mastic come from this mastic plant and were used as one of the original chewing gums, hence the name as in to masticate or chew. They are chewy in a crunchy rather than chewy gum way and have cleansing taste akin to furniture polish which is strangely pleasing. The gum mastic tree, Pistacia lentiscus, comes traditionally from the Greek island of Chios. The mastic tree has shiny, dark-green leaves, with a rough trunk which exudes a lear resinous substance when tapped. This resin is gum mastic. Gum mastic trees start production when 5-6 years old and can be used for production for 65-70 years. The resin is collected, washed, cleaned and then laid out to dry. Gum mastic is usally sold as tears, or small pieces, of 2-3mm in size (1/8 inch), with a brittle texture and a faint pine-like aroma. Gum mastic has a flavour that is bitter and mineral-like that becomes more neutral after a few minutes of chewing, keeping its freshening flavour even after 15 or more minutes. Gum astic has many practical functions, as well as in cooking such as for authentic Turkish delights, breads, pastries and cakes, or for the spice rub for traditional Turkish doner kebabs. Mastic is now used more as thickening agent in ice cream, sauces and seasoning in Lebanon. In Egypt mastic is used in jams with a gummy consistency; in Turkey mastic is used in desserts such as Turkish Delight, dondurma, puddings like sütlaç, salep, Turkish brioches, and blancmange, porridge, and soft drinks; in Greece, mastic is used to prepare mastic liqueurs mastic like Mastichato, a spoon sweet known as "vanilla", beverages, chewing gum, cakes, pastries, sweets, desserts. Mastic is another specialist spice from Steenbergs ingredients, which we import from around the world, pack, blend and provide for our fabulous customers from our base in Ripon, North Yorkshire.

Features

• Steenbergs Mastic Tears
• 13g
• baking ingredient for Greek and Turkish bread, pastries cakes