Known also as Lentisk (MT: Deru), the Mastic Tree’s scientific name Pistacia lentiscus may have us thinking of pistachio nuts – it is indeed a relative of the Pistachio Tree (Pistacia vera) but instead of nuts it produces tiny spherical berries in autumn. These bright red berries turn black upon ripening and are a favourite of many migrating birds which stop over for refuelling and in turn disperse the seeds. The fruits can only be found on the female trees – in spring the flowers are wind pollinated by pollen from the petalless flowers on a separate male tree – released as very fine pollen clouds at the slightest movement.
This hardy evergreen shrub with small aromatic leaves very much represents the essence of Mediterranean resilience and wherever intensive grazing has stopped we are seeing a comeback of it as a tough pioneer species reclaiming its lost territories. It can grow with very little soil and can tolerate drought well – on the exposed higher grounds of Comino, on its eastern side, it has developed widespread copses of multiple dwarf shrubs intertwined with each other and flattened by the wind. These impenetrable miniature ‘forests’ are often the only green foliage in sight and thus create a unique microclimate and become a very important shelter for animals trying to survive in an otherwise unforgiving harsh site.
Although in Malta it is extremely underrated as a tree, many Mediterranean people know its precious nature – a golden source since antiquity, this plant has yielded countless benefits in the spheres of landscaping, natural remedies, perfumes, cooking, sweets, cosmetics, insect repellent, beverages, varnishes, glue, chewing gum and even lighting!
In Sardegna, for instance, the berries are harvested to produce a rare and very unique oil known, amongst other names, as Oll’e stincu. Speaking to elderly Sardinians (Family Dessi, personal communication, November 2024) reveals memories of widespread use of the Mastic oil, especially at times when olive oil was a luxury. It had multiple uses – as a condiment for salads and minestra, as a snack on bread together with salt and also as a frying oil. Before electricity reached all the regions it was used to light up homes with a wick made of cloth and dipped in the fragrant oil. One can only imagine the scent floating around the house! It seems that the harvesting of the berries was a job done mainly by women while the crushing was done by men after a process of letting them dry out a bit. The berries were then transferred to sacks which acted as filters whilst hot water was added as they were being crushed by foot. The mixture was left to separate until the floating oil could be scooped out, cleaned and then boiled together with orange peels or dried figs to reduce the bitterness.
In another part of the Mediterranean the resin of the Mastic is the most prized part and its valorisation has even led it to be assigned protected designated of origin on the Aegean island of Chios. The island jealously guards its botanic heritage and claims that the only true gum mastic comes from their trees so much so that it has been Inscribed in the UNESCO Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity and even boasts its own unique name: Pistacia lentiscus var. Chia. The fragrant gum, also known as golden tears or Chios tears, has been a precious product for centuries and its cultivation was even guarded by fortified ‘mastiha villages’. Mastiha is also the name of the fine liquor made from the same resin which is extracted through a very labour-intensive process from cultivated trees via incisions in the bark. Today it is an expensive product exported to many parts of the world for a variety of uses. One of the most ancient uses for the Mastic tree has been as a chewing gum – this practice gave rise to the name itself, from the Latin masticare – to chew. These solidified golden drops can be very beneficial for oral health thanks to the antibacterial properties of the resin and are used in toothpastes and to freshen the breath. But its qualities go beyond these … and it has been found to also help with pain, digestion, inflammation and liver problems, amongst others.
Certainly, not a plant to be overlooked! In the very near future I believe we may even turn to this drought resistant tree as a potential ally as climate change increases aridity in the Mediterranean.
Local information can also be viewed at the link here.
Text and photos: Annalise Falzon
