מַסְטִיק (mastik) — chewing gum
Etymology
On the Aegean island of Chios, just seven kilometers from the Turkish coast, the mastic industry has been the backbone of the local economy since antiquity. Residents grow lentisk trees (Pistacia lentiscus), tap their resin, and drip it onto large boards laid in the fierce Mediterranean sun. When the drops harden, they have a chewy, resinous texture and a piney, fresh taste. The Greeks call them "μαστίχα" (mastikha), a name derived from the Greek verb for chewing — "μαστιχάω" — reflecting their primary use as a chewing substance. But mastic also served as incense, a spice, and a medicine.
The mastic trade in the ancient world was extensive and reached the Land of Israel. The earliest historical evidence of mastic-chewing in the Jewish world appears in the Tosefta in a text probably written in the first century CE: "One may not chew [mastic] on the Sabbath — when? When one's intention is medicinal. But if it is for the sake of the breath [i.e., freshening], it is permitted" (Shabbat 13:7). This ruling — that chewing mastic on Shabbat is only permitted if done for health reasons (preventing bad breath) — echoed through the writings of Maimonides, Nachmanides, Rabbi Joseph Karo, and Rabbi Moses of Coucy. In Ashkenazic Europe, where the lentisk tree did not grow, the habit was uncommon. But in the Arab world and among Sephardic Jews, the practice survived — and the ancient Greek name with it.
The pivot to modern chewing gum came in the United States. During the Civil War (1860s), a severe rubber shortage led American entrepreneurs to import Mexican chicle (sap of the sapodilla tree, Manilkara) hoping it could substitute for rubber. It could not — but other entrepreneurs recognized chicle's potential as a chewing substance, and gum manufacturing gradually conquered American mouths. The global launch vehicle was World War II: millions of young American servicemen stationed around the world spread the chewing-gum habit from the US to every corner of the earth. By the late 1940s, gum industries were developing worldwide, including in Mandatory Palestine.
In the few cases where Israeli gum packaging carried Hebrew text rather than "chewing gum," it said "גּוּמִי לְעִיסָה" — a literal translation. Press and literature also used this clunky phrase. But Israeli children — the product's main consumers — called it "מַסְטִיק," a term absorbed from Arab neighbors or Sephardic Jews who had preserved the ancient name. By the 1950s, spoken Hebrew began entering Hebrew journalism: "Herut" in December 1955 quoted a child "shnorring" (cadging) מַסְטִיק from classmates. By 1956, "Davar" was using the word in straightforward commercial reporting. Publication by Dan Ben-Amotz in 1959 anchored it in literature. The popular trio "שוקולד מנטה מסטיק" (formed 1972, represented Israel at Eurovision 1976) did much to cement the word in public consciousness. By the 1980s, manufacturers were printing "מַסְטִיק" on wrappers. Today even dry press reports typically use "מַסְטִיק," though "גּוּמִי לְעִיסָה" lingers in very formal commercial and legal contexts.
Key Quotes
"אין לועסין [מוסתכין] בשבת אימתי בזמן שמתכוין לרפואה אם מפני ריח הפה ה״ז מותר" — תוספתא שבת י״ג, ז׳ (המופע ההיסטורי הראשון של לעיסת מסטיק בעולם היהודי)
"ובנו הקטן הפך 'שנורר' מקצועי בבית הספר, ו'סוחב' משאר הילדים 'מסטיק' בשידול ובתחנונים" — ״חרות״, דצמבר 1955
Timeline
- Ancient: Mastic resin (μαστίχα) traded throughout the ancient Mediterranean; reaches Land of Israel
- 1st century CE: Tosefta (Shabbat 13:7) records mastic-chewing in Jewish practice
- Medieval: Ruling echoed by Maimonides, Nachmanides, Karo, Moses of Coucy
- 1860s: American Civil War → chicle imported from Mexico; chewing gum industry begins
- WWII (1939–1945): American soldiers spread chewing gum globally; Israeli gum industry develops
- Pre-1940s: Poor-quality gum available in Palestine; colloquial name "מַסְטִיק" in use among Sephardim and Arabs
- 1940s–1950s: Formal Hebrew term "גּוּמִי לְעִיסָה" used in press; children use "מַסְטִיק"
- December 1955: "Herut" quotes "מַסְטִיק" in quotation marks (reflecting children's speech)
- 1956: "Davar" uses "מַסְטִיק" in commercial news
- 1959: Dan Ben-Amotz's "Ma Nishma" uses the word in literature
- 1972: Trio "שוקולד מנטה מסטיק" formed; represents Israel at Eurovision 1976
- 1980s: Manufacturers print "מַסְטִיק" on packaging
- Present: "מַסְטִיק" dominant in all registers; "גּוּמִי לְעִיסָה" only in formal legal/economic contexts
Related Words
- גּוּמִי לְעִיסָה — chewing gum (literal translation; now formal/archaic)
- מַסְטִיקָה — mastic resin (the original substance, from Chios)
- לוֹעֵס — chewing (the activity)
- שׂרָף — resin (general Hebrew term)