The Tears of Chios: How Greece’s Ancient Mastic Tradition Still Shapes the Island Today

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For thousands of years, the southern part of the Greek island of Chios has been home to one of the Mediterranean’s most distinctive natural products: mastiha, the aromatic resin of the mastic tree.

Often called the “Tears of Chios”, these small, translucent drops have been harvested on the island for at least 2,500 years. They have been used as chewing gum, flavouring, perfume, medicine and an ingredient in sweets and liqueurs. Today, Chios mastiha remains one of Greece’s most recognisable agricultural products and an important part of the island’s cultural identity.

The resin comes from the mastic tree, known scientifically as Pistacia lentiscus var. chia. Although related mastic trees grow elsewhere around the Mediterranean, the distinctive resin is traditionally produced commercially in southern Chios. The combination of the local microclimate, soil and centuries old cultivation techniques has created a product that is uniquely associated with the island.

Why are they called the “Tears of Chios”?

The name comes from the way mastiha is collected.

During the summer harvesting season, growers carefully prepare the ground beneath the trees and make shallow cuts in the trunk and larger branches using specialised tools. The tree responds by releasing droplets of resin. These slowly harden when exposed to the air, eventually becoming the clear or pale crystals that are collected from the ground.

The drops resemble tears, giving rise to the evocative expression “Tears of Chios”.

The harvesting process remains remarkably traditional. Work begins with preparing and cleaning the ground around the trees, followed by repeated incisions during the summer. Once the resin has hardened, it is collected and painstakingly cleaned and sorted.

It is an agricultural process that demands patience. The mastic tree itself grows slowly and can take around 40 to 50 years to reach full maturity for cultivation.

A tradition stretching back to antiquity

Mastiha has been associated with Chios since ancient times.

The resin was valued throughout the Mediterranean and wider eastern world for its distinctive aroma and flavour. Ancient Greek medical traditions also recognised mastic for a range of uses, while its ability to freshen the breath helped establish its reputation as an early form of chewing gum.

The ancient connection is particularly striking because the basic principle of harvesting the resin has survived for centuries. Modern equipment and processing facilities have changed parts of the industry, but the essential relationship between grower, tree and harvest remains deeply rooted in tradition.

That continuity is one of the reasons UNESCO recognised the “Know-how of cultivating mastic on the island of Chios” in 2014 and placed it on the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity. UNESCO describes mastic cultivation as a practice involving a broad cross-section of the island’s population, reflecting its importance far beyond agriculture.

The Mastihohoria: villages built around mastiha

The history of mastiha is also written into the landscape of southern Chios.

The island’s famous Mastihohoria, or mastic villages, developed around the cultivation and protection of the valuable resin. Many date back to the Byzantine period, while their distinctive fortified character was shaped under Genoese rule between 1346 and 1566.

The villages were deliberately constructed in ways that helped protect their inhabitants from pirate raids. Houses were built close together, often forming defensive outer walls, while narrow streets and central towers contributed to their fortress like appearance.

There are 24 recognised mastic producing villages in southern Chios, including Pyrgi, Mesta, Olympoi, Kalamoti, Vessa, Armolia and Lithi.

Walking through these settlements today offers a glimpse into a society whose architecture, economy and traditions were shaped by the mastic harvest.

From tree to chewing gum

Mastiha eventually became synonymous with chewing gum.

The Chios Mastiha Growers Association began investigating the production of chewing gum from mastiha in the 1950s. Its chewing gum factory opened in 1957, producing eight tonnes of ELMA chewing gum in its first year. Production subsequently expanded significantly.

The result was a distinctly Greek form of chewing gum made from a resin that had been used for centuries.

Even today, natural mastiha is processed and packaged on Chios, while the island’s production facilities also manufacture chewing gum and produce mastiha oil through distillation.

More than chewing gum

The uses of Chios mastiha have expanded considerably.

Mastiha is used in confectionery, desserts, baked goods, drinks, cosmetics and personal care products. It is also famously used to make mastiha liqueur, a sweet and aromatic spirit strongly associated with Chios and Greek cuisine.

Its distinctive flavour is difficult to describe. When first chewed, raw mastiha can have a bitter or resinous taste. As it softens, however, the flavour develops into a refreshing, aromatic character often compared with pine or other Mediterranean botanicals.

That unusual transformation is part of what makes natural mastiha so distinctive.

A major part of Chios’ economy

Mastiha is not simply a historic curiosity.

The Chios Mastiha Growers Association was established in 1938 and represents growers through the island’s cooperative structure. The organisation manages the natural Chios mastiha production chain and supports the growers who continue the tradition.

Today, mastiha remains concentrated in the traditional producing communities of southern Chios, where generations of agricultural knowledge continue to be passed down.

The association’s modern facilities now handle processing, cleaning, grading and packaging, linking an ancient agricultural tradition with an international commercial market.

Why only Chios?

One of the enduring mysteries surrounding mastiha is why this particular resin has become so closely associated with southern Chios.

The mastic tree itself is not exclusive to the island. Similar varieties grow throughout Mediterranean regions. Yet the special combination of the Chios environment and traditional cultivation methods allows the southern part of the island to produce the characteristic resin in commercially significant quantities.

According to the Chios Mastiha Growers Association, attempts to extend the distinctive mastic cultivation beyond its traditional southern Chios environment have not succeeded in reproducing the same result.

This geographical uniqueness is central to the identity of Chios mastiha.

The harvest continues

During the summer, the mastic groves of southern Chios become places of intense agricultural activity.

The work is slow and highly manual. The earth beneath each tree is prepared, the bark is carefully incised and the resin is left to emerge and harden. Later, the tiny crystals are gathered, cleaned and sorted.

What appears to be a simple drop of resin therefore represents months of preparation and generations of knowledge.

The result is a product that connects ancient Greece with the modern world.

From the physicians and merchants of antiquity to today’s food, cosmetics and pharmaceutical industries, mastiha has continually found new uses while retaining its traditional identity.

And perhaps that is what makes the “Tears of Chios” so remarkable.

They are not merely drops of resin.

They are a living part of Chios’ history, landscape, economy and culture, continuing to fall from the island’s mastic trees much as they have done for centuries.

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