Description: In ancient Egypt mastic was called "the fragrance
that pleases the gods." The mastic tree is a large evergreen
shrub that grows to about 20 ft (6m) in height. The trees are
are fully grown after about forty years and typically live to
near one hundred years old. The tree begins giving its aromatic
resin (mastic) when it's 5-6 years old. After roughly 15 years,
it produces from 60 to 400 grams of mastic resin per year. Gum
Mastic is a transparent, lemon-white colored, natural resin
which exudes from the mastic tree. The only known home to mastic
is the southern area of the island of Chios, Greece. There is
also a different aromatic mastic resin, Pistacia kinjuk found
growing in areas in and around Turkey. Since ancient times,
mastic has been used as a natural medicine. A leaf fossil from a
mastic tree has been found dating back six million years. The
Incense makers of ancient Egypt used mastic resin in their Kyphi
mixtures, and imported this popular ingredient in large
quantities. Mastic is also u