Mastic Block – 1 kg

Mastic is the resin of the mastic tree (Pistacia lentiscus) and the best-known take on plain cream in Maraş ice cream. We pound the mastic with a little sugar in a mortar and add it to the boiling milk.

The measure matters

Too much mastic leaves bitterness and a resinous taste. We use 1.5 grams of mastic per kilogram; at this ratio you notice the aroma but it does not overpower the milk.

Origin

We buy our mastic from mastic tree growers in Çeşme, İzmir. Planting mastic trees has been a growing effort in Türkiye since the 2000s; domestic mastic is milder in aroma than imported mastic.

It differs from plain cream by its white colour and the coolness it leaves in the mouth, and is especially popular beside warm desserts.