Greek Mastiha

My real love of Greece besides the intoxicating yogurt is the mastiha (pronounced “mahs-TEEKH-hah”) liqueur. Oh this is a real beauty. From 6000 BC, mastiha has been used as a precious digestive.  It is made from sap of the Mastic tree.  The tree “cries” sap tears, which fall to the ground and become crystallized nuggets.  The ancient Greeks chewed the eucalyptus-scented mastic to freshen breath and clean teeth.

The mastiha liqueur, made from the sap, has a fresh, evergreen scent with aromas of buttery pine and juniper berry on the palate.  I found it a refreshing sweet treat served straight up out of the freezer as an aperitif, think of it as the Greek version of limoncello (but no lemon flavor of course).  Though my mind usually begins to scheme combinations with chocolate, this nectar is too dominating to combine with cacao and I found it best in fluffy nougat and chewy candies.

To try it yourself go to Mastiha Shop

Location: Mykonos, Greece

What: Moussaka!

At Ornos Beach on Mykonos,  where all the gorgeous yachts seem to pull up, there is a restaurant amongst a touristy spot just steps from the beach that you can tell is the one where the locals frequent. It is called Porto Ornos Restaurant and Bar. The service is nothing to speak of but, the moussaka was the best my lips have ever encountered. Fluffy, soft, rich mashed potatoes atop thick, juicy, olive oil baked eggplant and small delicate crumbles of hours roasted lamb with a gorgeous confited in sweat fat-filled and tart tomato sauce.

It was divine, truly. I ate it with many breaths of disbelief in between each slowly fork risen bite.