M - Mastiha Ice Cream

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M is for mastiha/mastica.  This unique ice cream is flavored with... sap.  Yes, the resin of a tree, most particularly from the Greek island of Chios, producing little "tears" of sap that are collected and used to flavor a multitude of dishes and beverages.  And I have to say, I am kinda obsessed with this flavor.  So head scratchingly good.  Previously, I have used it in baked goods and I have chewed on a few of the tears as a traditional gum.  I quite enjoy the flavor, slightly evergreen, herbal, and delicate.  If you like the juniper notes of gin, you will probably like this.  It is a little more subtle with the tempering inclusion of the custard base.  It will smell very strongly when first dissolved in the milk, but in the custard base, totally sublime and more subtle. 

The mouthfeel of this ice cream is unbelievably luscious.  Normally I love Philadelphia style ice cream and am not a huge French custard fan, but this was amazing.  I also don't like ice cream thickened with gums (I think Tillamook ruined their ice cream with the guar gum, which is tragic.)  This has a vaguely similar quality in terms of extra "body" to the ice cream, but without that off-putting gummy-ness, perhaps more similar to gelato in texture  (It's not unpleasantly chewy/gummy like those commercial ice creams can get.)  Just super rich and silky smooth, with the occasional crackle of a piece of mastic that didn't get completely powdered.  Since the traditional topping of glyko karydaki is not easy to find, I figured Amarena cherries would be a good substitute for a spoon sweet type topping to balance the herbal notes, and very similar to traditional toppings.  Traditional Greek mastiha ice cream (kaimaki) is sometimes thickened with salep (wild orchid root) to give it a stretchy, elastic texture.  The gelatin in this version stabilizes the mixture and yields a soft, bouncy, and incredibly velvety scoop.

So yes, if you like gin and piney scents, you will likely enjoy this ice cream.  It was fantastic both with and without the cherries for me, and youngest kiddo actually preferred it plain with the noticeable resin flavor.  Eldest, who does not like gin, said it probably was not the flavor for her.  Hubby liked it with the cherries.  This ice cream is so rich and satisfying, you will definitely be happy with a standard half cup serving, especially with toppings!  (This batch fills a 1.5Qt freezer canister to capacity.)

 
Chios Mastiha Ice Cream
makes 6-8 servings

2 gelatin sheets, 7 g (¼ oz.) each (I used silver strength gelatin)
1 cup whole milk (the mastica needs fat to dissolve well)
½ tsp freshly ground mastica/mastiha from Chios (freeze before grinding)
180 g (6 oz.) sugar, divided
pinch of sea salt
125 g (4.4 oz.) egg yolks (about 7 large yolks)
400 ml (14 oz.) heavy cream

Soak the gelatin in cold water to soften.  

Take a spoonful of the sugar and combine it with the cold mastica tears in a mortar and pestle*.  Grind it to a very fine powder.  (The sugar will help keep it from getting gummy.)

Heat the milk together with the mastiha powder and salt in a 2 qt pan, and remove from heat as soon as the milk reaches a simmer.  Drain and add the softened gelatin into the milk, stirring constantly until dissolved.  Let the mixture cool slightly while beating the egg yolks.

With a whisk or an electric mixer, beat the egg yolks and remaining sugar together to ribbon stage (very light in color and thick).  Pour the warm milk very slowly into the egg mixture in about four additions.  Return the mixture to the heat and cook and stir until the mixture reaches about 170ºF.  This will finish the custard base and also take care of any undissolved mastica around the edges of the pan.  

To finish the ice cream there are two options.

No Ice Cream Freezer option (a slightly more semifreddo finish):

Place the bowl in an ice bath and continue beating until the mixture is lightened and very frothy.

Whip the cream until stiff peaks form and fold it carefully into the egg-milk mixture. Pour the mixture into a bowl or into a loaf pan lined with plastic wrap and freeze.

Serve the semifreddo as is, or top it with a traditional glyko karydaki (a Greek walnut spoon sweet which is a classic fruit preserve made from whole, unripe green walnuts slowly simmered in a spiced sugar syrup.)

Ice Cream Freezer option: 

Mix the heavy cream until the custard base and transfer to a bowl.  Cover and chill completely in the refrigerator, overnight is best.  Give the base a good stir before freezing, it will be slightly thickened from the gelatin, but will loosen up easily with just a few stirs.

The next day, freeze the ice cream in the machine according to manufacturer's instructions.  (Make sure the canister has been frozen for at least 24 hours and churn until thick and creamy.  Turn on the motor before adding the ice cream mixture.  Do not fill the bowl more than ¾ full to allow for expansion.)

Transfer the fresh ice cream to an airtight container and store in the freezer to finish curing. 


* If, despite the sugar and freezing, you find that the mastic has left a gummy coating on the mortar or pestle, simply wipe it down with a little rubbing or isopropyl alcohol and it will come right off. 


As part of the 2026 Alphabet Challenge, organized by A Day in the Life on the Farm, we are sharing recipes that begin with M or include ingredients or methods that begin with M: 


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