5CHIOS

Not far from its Aegean neighbour Lesvos, Chios is largely undiscovered by tourists and ripe for exploration. Closer to Turkey than most of its Greek island cousins, it was known as ‘the fragrant isle’ thanks to its extensive citrus and fruit groves.

But there’s one ingredient that Chios alone produces, and it was the source of the island’s wealth in centuries past: mastic (or mastiha). Mastic, the sap of the Pistacia lentiscus tree, was prized back in the 1300s mastic for its digestive powers and use as a flavouring.You can follow the mastic trail around the island – to the villages of Masticochoria, Olympi, Mesta and Pyrgi.

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