Mastiha is bonded with Chios.
A cosmopolitan Greek island once
a Byzantine monopoly often threatened by pirates, it flourished under the Ionians and was fought over by the Genoese and Venetians. Ever since the time it was passed to the Ottomans, it has always been
the work of the mastiha collectors of Chios to gather the precious tears
of resin from the tree which appear
after gently scratching the trunk.

The same traditional method of collection is still used today in every one of the 24 medieval villages of Chios, a legacy for future generations.