Would You Drink Tree Tears?

Would You Drink Tree Tears?

There are certain things I discover about a destination that immediately make me stop and say:

“Wait… WHO thought to try that?” 😂

Tree resin definitely qualifies.

On the Greek island of Chios, something unusual has been happening for centuries. Mastic trees are carefully scored, causing tiny drops of fragrant resin to emerge from the bark.

As the resin hardens, it forms little translucent crystals traditionally known as “tears.”

And apparently, somewhere in human history, somebody looked at tree resin and thought:

I wonder what that tastes like?

Honestly, that's the part I can't get past. 😂

But those little tears became much more than a curiosity.

Mastic has been prized for generations and used in foods, sweets and other traditional products. It became so closely connected with Chios that the story of mastic is woven into the culture and history of the island itself.

And then somebody eventually did something I can completely get behind.

They made liqueur. 🍸

Meet Mastiha

Mastiha liqueur takes that distinctive mastic flavor and turns it into something sweet, aromatic and herbal, with notes often described as piney and citrusy.

It can be served chilled, over ice, after a meal or mixed into cocktails.

Which means I went from:

“You want me to drink TREE RESIN?”

to:

“Okay… pour me one.” 😂

This Is Why I Love Travel

The drink is fun.

But it's the story behind the drink that fascinates me.

A tree that grows on a Greek island.

Tiny drops of resin called tears.

Generations of people harvesting them.

A local product that became part of the identity of a place.

And today, a traveler can sit down in Greece, order a glass of Mastiha and unknowingly be tasting a little piece of that history.

That's what I love about travel.

Sometimes the best stories aren't found at the famous landmark everyone came to see.

They're hiding in the food.

The folklore.

The traditions.

Or apparently…

in a glass of tree tears. 😂🍸

Would I try Mastiha in Greece?

Absolutely.

The question is…

Would you?

Until our next story,
— Gina Renee