The Magic of Mastic Gum (Meska Horra) in Moroccan Pastries

If you look closely at the ingredient list of high-end Moroccan sweets—like Kaab el Ghazal (Gazelle Horns), Sellou, or Mhanncha—you will almost always find a mysterious ingredient called Meska Horra.

To the uninitiated, it looks like tiny, pale yellow teardrops of hardened tree sap. It is incredibly expensive, difficult to find, and used in minuscule quantities. Yet, without it, a Moroccan pastry is considered spiritually and texturally incomplete.

The Tears of the Pistachio Tree

Meska Horra translates to “Pure Mastic.” It is the sun-dried resin of the mastic tree (a relative of the pistachio tree), which grows primarily in the Mediterranean basin. When the bark of the tree is scored, it “weeps” the sticky resin in tears, which are then hardened in the sun.

The Invisible Texture

Mastic is not used for its flavor—which is faintly piney and extremely subtle—but for its texture. It acts as an ancient, natural binding agent.

To use it, a Moroccan baker will take three or four tiny tears of Meska Horra and grind them in a mortar and pestle with a pinch of granulated sugar to prevent the resin from sticking. This fine powder is then kneaded into almond paste or dough.

When heated, the mastic melts and binds the almond paste, giving it an incredible, luxurious elasticity. It is what stops the filling of a Gazelle Horn from crumbling into dry powder when you bite into it. It is the invisible magic that holds our celebrations together.