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Functional Properties of Traditional Foods pp 271–287Cite as

Chios Mastic Gum and Its Food Applications

Part of the Integrating Food Science and Engineering Knowledge Into the Food Chain book series (ISEKI-Food,volume 12)

Abstract

This chapter reviews the traditional Greek product Chios Mastic Gum or Mastiha, primarily known for its distinctive flavor. This is the dried exudate of the shrub-like tree Pistacia lentiscus L. var. chia of the Anacardiaceae family, cultivated exclusively in the south of the Greek island Chios. Emphasis is given on its chemistry and physicochemical properties, health effects, antioxidant and antimicrobial properties. The preparation of traditional food products based on mastic gum or essential oil, such as chewing gum, confectionery, bakery products as well as alcoholic and nonalcoholic beverages, is also discussed.

Keywords

  • Mastic gum
  • Mastiha
  • Essential oil
  • Terpenes

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Fig. 19.1
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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Laboratory of Food Science and Technology, School of Chemistry, Aristotle Universityof Thessaloniki, Thessaloniki, 54 124, Greece

    Adamantini Paraskevopoulou & Vassilios Kiosseoglou

Authors
  1. Adamantini Paraskevopoulou
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  2. Vassilios Kiosseoglou
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Adamantini Paraskevopoulou .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. University of Iceland, Faculty of Food Science and Nutrition, Reykjavík, Iceland

    Kristberg Kristbergsson

  2. Izmir , Turkey, Food Engineering Department Ege Universi, Izmir, Turkey

    Semih Ötles

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Paraskevopoulou, A., Kiosseoglou, V. (2016). Chios Mastic Gum and Its Food Applications. In: Kristbergsson, K., Ötles, S. (eds) Functional Properties of Traditional Foods. Integrating Food Science and Engineering Knowledge Into the Food Chain, vol 12. Springer, Boston, MA. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4899-7662-8_19

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