A slightly moist blend of Bright Leaf and Burley tobaccos, cased with an extract made from the gum of the mastic shrub grown on the Greek Island of Chios, to give this snuff a sharp, piney, bitter-sweet scent.
Mastic has been used as medicine since antiquity and is still part of traditional folk remedies in the Middle East to treat bronchitis, digestive problems and improve conditions of the blood. During the Ottoman rule of Chios, mastic gum was worth its weight in gold and every year the finest crop was sent to the Sultan's harem in Istanbul. The penalty for stealing mastic gum was execution by order of the Sultan.
Mastic is harvested from July to October by making incisions in the bark of the shrub to release the resin and as these clear droplets sparkle in the sunlight, they are known as the 'Tears of Chios'.
Read about where the tears come from.
NB: As with any natural tobacco product, artisan nasal snuff can be susceptible to mould if it is not stored correctly. All of our snuffs are heat treated before packing to ensure an indefinite shelf-life whilst in the original, unopened containers. Our snuffs are traditionally made without chemical preservatives and we recommend that once opened the snuffs should be kept in the tightly closed brand container and stored in a refrigerator. Only decant using a clean, dry implement.