WHAT IS MASTICA? RECIPE LEVANTINE CHICKEN BIRYANI WITH MASTICA

MASTICA

Mastica comes from a tree which is a member of the pistachio nut bearing tree family. The mastica tree’s Latin name is Pistachia lentiscus and it is native to the Mediterranean region, Morocco, Iraq, Iran, the Iberian Peninsula, southern France and Turkey, as well as the Canary Islands. However the trees grown on the Greek island of Chios are the only ones that ‘weep’ Mastica ‘tears’ when the bark of the trunk is scored. The cooperative that produces mastica on the island has been granted protection designation of origin rights, as well as protected geographical indication, because of the unique nature of the trees, and the fact that the island has been producing world-famous mastica for centuries. The villages which produce mastica were fortified in Mediaeval times to protect them from pirates and others who would try to take them over, as the trade in mastica was so profitable. Indeed, the islanders were given special privileges because of the trees’ harvest by their conquerors, the Genovese and Ottoman Turks.

Mastica is tree resin, and has been used in medicine for centuries. The ancient Greeks used it to counteract inflammation, coughs and bladder infections, and the Egyptians put it into their drinking water, to make it taste better. It is said to lower cholesterol levels and blood pressure, help in cases of diabetes, and boost the immune system. It has anti-bacterial effects and was used as a remedy for cholera. Research conducted by the University of Thessaloniki has shown that chewing mastica can reduce plaque, and a separate study by researchers from the University of Nottingham has shown that 1 gram of mastica a day can cure peptic ulcers if this is done over period of two weeks.

The trees on Chios are said to weep because Saint Isidorus, in 253 AD was tortured under a mastica tree. The trees weep for his suffering.

In the villages which produce mastica on Chios, the Mastichochoria, the resin is harvested between June and September. After the ‘tears’ have been collected, the villagers wash each one separately and make this a social occasion. One tree will produce 200 to 300 grams of mastica each year.

Mastica is used in paints, varnishes, toothpaste, toiletries and drinks. It is used to make desserts and is one of the ingredients of loukoumia, or lokhma (Turkish Delight). You can buy it in crystal form or in a gooey liquid which you can eat like yoghurt if you have a sweet tooth. You can also get mastic gum to chew in Greece. The English word to masticate, meaning to chew, comes from the Greek mastica.

LEVANTINE CHICKEN BIRYANI

Ingredients

1 chicken jointed, or cut into smaller pieces

3 bay leaves

1 sprig thyme

1 handful of fresh mint leaves

salt and pepper

For biryani
2 glasses rice, cleaned
4 glasses water or chicken stock

2 cups yoghurt

1 egg,beaten

1 tsp cornflour or arrowroot

1 tsp freshly ground black pepper

1 tsp cumin seeds, dry fried and crushed

1 tsp cardamom seeds, crushed (remove seeds from husks of green cardamoms )

1 or 2 saffron threads, crumbled

2 inch stick of cinnamon

1 large onion, sliced

6 garlic cloves, finely chopped

2 mastica crystals

oil

Garnish

50 gr toasted or dry fried almonds, chopped

30 gr pistachio nuts, crushed

1 handful fresh coriander leaves, torn finely

Method

Put mastica, chicken pieces, bay leaves, thyme, mint and seasonings into a pan, cover with water and bring to the boil. Remove scum and simmer for 40 mins, or until chicken is cooked through. Check and remove any other scum that rises to the surface during cooking.

Mix egg with the arrowroot or cornflour and beat in the yoghurt. Add spices and salt to taste.

Fry onions and garlic for a few minutes until the onions start to brown.

Put cooked chicken pieces in a large pan and pour the yoghurt mixture over them.

In another pan, put the rice and pour 4 glasses of the chicken stock over it. Allow it to absorb the stock.

Mix the onions and garlic with the rice and place over the yoghurt.

Now add water to quarter fill the pan and cook for 30 mins over a medium heat or until the rice is cooked.

Remove the pan from the heat and leave to stand, covered for 5 mins.

Turn out onto a large serving plate and garnish with the nuts and fresh coriander leaves.

This has Taste and is a Treat.

ALLSPICE; RECIPE TRADITIONAL GREEK RABBIT STIFADO

ALLSPICE (Pimenta dioca, formerly officinalis)
Allspice is another, like Lemon Verbena which has undergone a Latin name changes. It was discovered by Christopher Columbus in (about) 1494 when he was in the West Indies, searching for pepper. He believed that the berries he found in Jamaica were in fact pepper, hence the name in Latin, pimenta. In some languages, such as Hungarian and Czech, allspice is known as a ‘pepper’ in the cases mentioned, its name translates as ‘clove pepper’. It gets its English name, allspice, from the fact that it is aromatic and tastes like a combination of cloves, cinnamon and nutmeg.
Food manufacturers use it to flavour ketchups, pickles, and sausages. It is also used in the manufacture of terrines, pates and smoked meats. Some say that it can be used as a substitute for cinnamon, but as cinnamon is readily available, I think you should use the real thing, especially in recipes which call for both cinnamon and allspice.
Russian soldiers put it in their boots to keep their feet warm in the Napoleonic War of 1812, and whether or not it helped warm their feet, their smell must have improved. In traditional medicine it is used to aid digestion and stop stomach cramps. If you put one or two drops of oil of allspice on a teaspoon of sugar, it will help with flatulence, and bouts of hysteria according to a Victorian source.
It is good in hot baths to relieve aching muscles, and help arthritis sufferers. You can also make a poultice with it to put on aching muscles: take powdered allspice and mix to a paste with water, spread this paste on a cloth and put on the affected area. It’s good for toothache too. And you can put one or two drops of essential oil on the painful tooth and gum to relieve the pain, (in much the same way as cloves do). In Jamaica they make allspice tea to cure colds, stomach cramps and other stomach disorders. To make this tisane, you need one or two teaspoons of powdered allspice per cup of boiling water. Steep the powder in the water for 15 minutes, and then strain through a coffee filter, or the paper filter.
Allspice is an ingredient used in men’s toiletries, and has also been used as a good luck charm to attract a fortune from business dealings or gambling.
The recipe below is a traditional Greek one which can be used with beef or rabbit.


RABBIT STIFADO
Ingredients
1 rabbit, jointed
500 gr small onions, peeled (either shallots or pickling onions) but left whole
1 large onion chopped
4 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1 large tomato, peeled and chopped
2 tbsps tomato puree (concentrate)
½ tsp grated nutmeg
2 sticks cinnamon
6 cloves
6 allspice berries
12 black peppercorns
1 or 2 sprigs of rosemary
1 tsp dried thyme
3 bay leaves
1 cup red wine
¼ cup red wine vinegar
salt to taste

Method
In a frying pan, heat oil and seal rabbit pieces in it. When sealed all over, transfer to an oven proof dish with a tight-fitting lid.
Now fry the chopped onion, garlic for about 5 mins until the onion becomes translucent. Now add the chopped tomato and tomato concentrate (puree) and stir. Add wine and wine vinegar and all herbs and spices. Stir well and add salt and the whole small onions.
Pour this mixture over the rabbit and add water to cover the meat and cover with the lid. Cook in a low oven for 3-4 hours.
Serve with mashed potatoes, and green vegetables (broccoli is good).
This has Taste and is a Treat.

GRAPES - HISTORY WITH RECIPE STUFFED VINE LEAVES

GRAPES
Grape vines have been around for at least 60 million years, according to fossilized evidence. Wine hasn’t been around for that long, obviously, but we have clearly been enjoying it for some time. Grapes were first cultivated around the Black Sea, in Georgia, as ceramic jars dating from 6,000BC which had contained wine, were found at the site of a Neolithic village. There is evidence that they were cultivated in Asia in 5,000BC. Vineyards were mentioned in “The Epic of Gilgamesh” which was written sometime between 2,750 and 2,500 BC, although it was a written record of a much older tale.
There are many health benefits gained from eating grapes and drinking grape juice, but if you consider the longevity of people in some parts of Italy and France where the grape is grown and wine is consumed, there must be some benefits to the drink.
Grapes contain minerals, potassium, calcium, iron, phosphorous, magnesium and selenium as well as being rich in vitamins A, C and B6.They contain flavonoids and so are powerful antioxidants. It has been claimed that they can help asthma sufferers, they lower cholesterol levels, so help prevent heart disease, are useful as a laxative, cure indigestion, reduce uric acid and so help the kidneys function better, and if you drink fresh grape juice every morning, this is supposed to stop migraine.
Of course the Greeks had a god of wine and orgies, Dionysus, also associated with fertility, and the phallic fennel stalk was his thyrsus or wand, with a pine cone on top. His Roman equivalent was Bacchus. Both Romans and Greeks drank diluted wine, and only the lower classes drank it without water. Pliny, writing in 154 BC says that wine production in Italy was unsurpassed, and of course, it is still very good. Varro wrote about viticulture in 37 BC in his “Res Rusticae” (Of Country Matters), and we know that some Roman wine had to be drunk within a year of its production, while wines such as Falernian would mature. Romans favoured a concoction of wine mixed with honey just before drinking called Mulsum
  In English we have the expression to “have sour grapes”, which comes from the Aesop Tale of the Fox and the Grapes. A fox couldn’t reach a juicy looking bunch of grapes, so told himself they were sour. Now the phrase means to behave meanly after being disappointed in some way. Grapes also feature in John Steinbeck’s novel, “The Grapes of Wrath” published in 1939 and made into a film the following year.
Apart from wine, we also get oil from the grape seeds, and the leaves are edible too (see our dolmades recipe). However the best product from grapes, arguably, is wine. Below is another dolmades recipe which is a fusion of Greek and Asian cuisines.



STUFFED VINE LEAVES
Ingredients
12 vine leaves
200 gr cooked rice
30 gr pine nuts
30 gr raisins
1 medium onion, finely chopped
3 garlic cloves, finely chopped
4 tbsps shredded coriander leaves (fresh)
½ tsp paprika (sweet)
1 tsp cumin seeds
oil
salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste


Method
If you are using fresh vine leaves, then blanch them for 3-5 mins before using. If you’re using prepackaged ones, wash them to remove the preservatives.
Fry the onions and garlic until the onions are translucent. Remove from the heat and put in a bowl.
Lightly fry the pine nuts and raisins, and cumin seeds, just to coat them in the oil. Remove and add to the bowl. Put the cooked rice in the bowl. Add the paprika, salt, pepper and coriander leaves and mix well.
Place some of the mixture on each vine leaf and then roll them into a sausage shape, folding the ends inwards. Put them in a single layer in a frying pan with ½ inch water. Alternatively use our chicken stock if you are not vegetarian. Cover and simmer for about 20 mins.
Serve hot, or cold as appetizers with Tzatziki and/or feta cheese.
These have Taste and are a Treat.

LEMON VERBENA WITH TISANE

LEMON VERBENA
This plant should not be confused with Lemon Balm or Lemon Grass. It has had a few changes of Latin names, but is now officially known as Aloysia triphylla. It has been called Lippia citriodora, Aloysia citriodora, and is commonly known by a variety of names, including, Lemon Beebrush, Cedron, Yerba Louisa and Lemon Louisa. It originated in South America and was brought to Europe by the Spaniards in the 18th century. It arrived in Britain in 1784, and is easily grown.
It can be used in teas, or tisanes, the leaves can be dried and used in pot pourri mixture, and it is good with fish, chicken, salad dressings vinegars and marinades.
It was named after Maria Louisa, Princess of Parma in 1819, and in the Language of Flowers is a symbol of purification and love and enchantment. It was thought that it would attract a suitor in folk superstitions.
It is used in medicine to relieve stomach cramps and colon spasms, and it is believed that it will give you a mental boost and help if you feel depressed. A tisane made from the leaves can also help reduce fevers. If you infuse it in cider vinegar it makes a good tonic for the skin, as it softens and refreshes it. You can put the leaves in finger bowls too. The essential oil from the leaves is said to boost the liver’s functions and assist the respiratory and digestive system.
Below is a refreshing tisane for you to try.



Lemon Verbena, Hibiscus and Ginger Tisane
Ingredients
1 handful lemon verbena leaves, torn roughly
1 handful dried hibiscus flowers
2 tsps finely chopped root ginger
7 cups water
sugar or honey to sweeten

Method
Put 7 cups of water in a pan and bring to the boil. Remove the pan from the heat and put in the ginger, dried hibiscus flowers and lemon verbena leaves. Leave to steep for 5 mins, then strain and serve.
Serve with honey or sugar if necessary.
This has Taste and is a Treat.

POPPY SEEDS or KASH - KASH and SERDAI DRINK

             POPPY SEEDS or KASH-KASH

The poppy plant, Papaver somniferum (Poppy of sleep) originated in the Mediterranean region, and is believed to have come from southern France and Italy. It was cultivated by the ancient Sumerians who called it the “plant of joy”. It spread throughout Europe and to Asia, although the Egyptians didn’t know about it until it was introduced by the Romans. Of course the poppy plant produces opium and the seeds we use in cookery are the ripe seeds from the same plant. However they do not contain narcotic substances. The unripe seeds contain codeine and morphine, which is so valuable in medicine.

Hippocrates, the father of medicine, recognized that they were good to cure insomnia, for inflammation, fever and dysentery. The ancient Greeks believed they were sacred to the god of sleep, Hypnos, rather than his twin brother Morpheus, the god of dreams. They were used as charms and in amulets to bring luck, money and love.

Remains of poppy seeds have been found in Swiss settlements dating to 4000 years ago and Scottish ones, dating back to 2500 years ago. It is one of the oldest condiments there is, along with cumin seeds.

When opium was introduced to the Muslim world, it was quickly adopted, as opium was not haram according to Islam, as alcohol is. It reached South Asia in Mediaeval times, and now India is the only country to legally export it. The Indian poppies are mainly cultivated in Uttar Pradesh and the Indian Punjab.

The flowers range in colour from white to red or lilac. The lilac coloured ones have a dark purple base. The seeds also come in a variety of shade, from black, or dark-blue, to yellow-white. The ones we have in Pakistan are white. The poppy plant grows to heights of between 50 to 150 centimetres tall. At one time they were grown in Mitcham, surrey, until the 1920 Dangerous Drugs Act clamped down on the use of opium based products, so beloved of the fictional character Sherlock Holmes. Laudanum was very popular in the 19th century and was given to children to put them to sleep. There are the obvious English literary figures who used opium, Thomas de Quincey famously admitted to using the narcotic in his book written in 1821,”Confessions of an English Opium-Eater”. Samuel Taylor Coleridge is reputed to have been under the influence of opium when he wrote “Kubla Khan,” of which only a fragment remains. Coleridge refers to it as the ‘milk of paradise’ in these lines
‘For he on honey-dew hath fed
And drunk the milk of paradise’.
Here he is referring to Kubla Khan.
De Quincey writes of ‘the marvelous agency of opium, whether for pleasure or pain,’ and talks of the ‘cloudless serenity’ he felt while in an opium induced state. However it is extremely addictive and its use should not be countenanced.
In cookery poppy seeds can be used to thicken and flavour sauces, blended with tamarind to make a curry paste, and can be boiled in a little water with salt and oil then added to rice to give it a nutty flavour. They are used as a coating for breads and biscuits, of course.
In traditional medicine on the subcontinent they are used to treat coughs and asthma, but because of the narcotic effects of the unripe seeds, these are not used in prolonged treatments. To treat diarrhea, cook poppy seeds with green cardamoms and sugar, strain and drink the liquid. Poppy extracts are used to reduce fever, help in TB treatments and for kidney and liver complaints.
The recipe below is for a milk-based drink which will cool you down when the weather is hot. It is also good for the stomach and an energy booster. If you don’t like milk, you can use water instead.

SERDAI
Ingredients
1 litre milk
30 gr almonds
50 gr poppy seeds
4 green cardamoms, seeds removed and husks discarded
6 black peppercorns
ice
sugar to taste

Method
If the almonds have skins, plunge them in boiling water for a minute or two so that you can easily slip off the skins. Grind the poppy seeds very well. Then grind the cardamom seeds.
Next grind the almonds.
Put the black peppercorns, sugar and milk in a pan and bring to the boil. Remove from the heat, put all the ingredients except ice in it and leave to cool.
Serve with ice.
This has Taste and is a Treat.

LEMON GRASS AND LEMON GRASS TISANE

LEMON GRASS

Lemon Grass is one of the main ingredients in a Thai curry, along with coconut milk and lots of fresh coriander. Its Latin name is Cymbopogon citratus, a relative of Cymbopogon nardus from which we get citronella, the well known ingredient of scented oil and candles which is a natural bug repellant. Lemon grass is also a bug repellant, but not as effective as its citronella relative.

It is native to southern India and Sri Lanka, Burma and Thailand. It’s a grass as its name suggests, and grows in large clumps which can grow to 5 feet tall. It’s used in perfumes, traditional medicine and cooking.

In Ayurvedic medicine it is used to get rid of intestinal parasites, for stomach cramps and other digestive problems. It has also been used in the treatment of leprosy, bronchitis and fever. In South America it is used as a mild sedative, when drunk as a tea.

It is being cultivated commercially in Norfolk, UK, which is quite a surprise! Maybe it will be cheaper to buy. If you can get it fresh, the new leaves are good chopped and added to chicken or seafood dishes.

In Pakistan it is normally used dried in a tea with green tea. This has a wonderful flavour, and is very refreshing. It can be used to bring down a temperature as it induces perspiration.


TISANE OF LEMON GRASS
Ingredients

2 tbsps dried lemon grass

2½ cups water
1 tsp lemon juice
sugar to taste


Method
Pour the water into a pan and bring to the boil. Add the lemon grass and boil for 3 minutes. Remove pan from the heat. Cover and leave to stand for 15 minutes. Strain and add lemon juice and sugar to taste. (Makes two cups)
This is good for any stomach problems, and will soothe you if you are feeling fraught.
This has Taste and is a Treat(ment).

SESAME SEEDS or TIL HISTORY: HALVA RECIPE

SESAME SEEDS or TIL in URDU and HINDI
Sesame seeds, or til (pronounced teel) are on of the worlds oldest condiments. Their Latin name is Sesamum indicum which implies that they came from India. There has been much debate about this, some saying they originated in the East Indies, others that they came from Africa, but new evidence suggests that they do indeed come from the Indian subcontinent.
There is an Assyrian myth which relates how the gods drank sesame wine the night before they created Earth (this may explain some anomalies).Sesame seeds were at first not used to cook with, but their oil was used for lighting, and the Chinese used the soot from this oil to make ink for their ink blocks.
We know that the Egyptians used them because they are mentioned in the Ebers papyrus, which listed all herbs and spices known to them in a scroll which was 65 feet long. On the wall of one of the pharaohs’ tombs a picture of a baker mixing sesame seeds with bread was discovered. Even today, we have sesame seeds on bread.
Roman soldiers carried them to give an energy boost when required, and Romans ground them and spread them on their bread in a paste mixed with cumin seeds. They also made biscuits called Itrion with them. Pliny wrote down a recipe for Pear Butter which included sesame seeds. The ancient Greeks mixed them with honey and believed this was an aphrodisiac, and this mixture is still eaten in the Middle East today.
In the story of Ali Baba and the 40 thieves, “Open sesame” was the magic phrase to open the cave that was filled with treasure. It is believed that the phrase is a reference to the way the seed pods explode and eject their seeds. Because they do this, sesame seeds have to be picked by hand before the pods ripen and eject their seeds, and this is what makes sesame seeds expensive- you get about a thousand seeds to one ounce.
These seeds can be black, red, white, yellow and cream. They grow on plants which range from between 18 inches to 5 feet high. The flowers look like foxgloves and range may be white or a pale lavender colour.
Sesame seeds have been used in traditional medicine on the subcontinent for various ailments. They are given to patients with diabetes; to treat constipation (Dioscorides wrote that sesame seeds were good for ‘griefs of the colon’);the oil is used for hair loss and to prevent baldness; it is also used on the skin to keep it young and supple, and to treat boils and other skin diseases. The seeds have cooling properties, so are used to reduce body heat. Sesame oil has powerful antioxidant and antiviral properties. Sometimes children have the oil put around their nostrils to prevent colds.
In Pakistan there are street sellers who go around houses selling the oil to women who use it as a hair conditioner. The oil can also be used to gargle with if you have a sore throat.
The sesame seed is, traditionally, a symbol of immortality, and Hindus put the tila mark on their foreheads.
Medical research has shown that sesame seeds have phytosterols, which lower cholesterol levels; boost the immune system and lower the risk of some cancers. They also have a high copper content and so are thought to be good for arthritis sufferers and the liver’s health.
They are used to make halva in Greece, Turkey the Middle East and the subcontinent, and they are the principal ingredient of tahini paste, from which hummus is made. Of course they are also used in breads, and one good Middle Eastern sweet is sweet fresh dates stuffed with almonds, then rolled in sesame seeds. Also you con make gromasio with them: this is 1 part dry fried sea salt to 12 parts dry fried sesame seeds, ground together, to make a seasoning to add to soups, stews and sauces.
Below is a Pakistani recipe for halva (halwah) which does not include tapioca as is more usual.



HALVA WITH DATES AND SESAME SEEDS
Ingredients
500 gr fresh dates stoned
125 gr sugar
375 gr channa dahl
2 tsps rosewater
50 gr pistachio nuts, crushed
50 gr almonds crushed
50 gr sesame seeds
4 green cardamom pods, husks discarded, only use seeds
250 gr oil


Method
First boil the channa dahl, and when it is cooked blend to a paste with the dates.
Heat oil in a pan, then add paste and fry until it changes colour. Add the sugar and fry till it has dissolved (about 5 mins). Mix in the cardamom seeds and the rose water, stir well place in a serving bowl and garnish with the almonds, pistachio nuts and sesame seeds.
If you want, you can cut it into pieces while it is still hot and then you can eat it whenever you want if you keep it in the fridge after it has completely cooled.
This has Taste and is a Treat.