Small tears are the smallest and fastest softening grade of pure Chios mastic gum, the natural resin that growers harvest on the Greek island of Chios. Titans Jaw sells small tears as the easy, beginner friendly cut, so they are comfortable to chew every day and simple to grind for Greek baking. In short, it is the same pure resin as every grade, just in smaller pieces.
By Carl J., Owner · Last updated August 19, 2026
Picking a first tin usually comes down to one question. Do you want an easy chew or a firm one? Because small tears are the easy end, this guide starts there. First, it explains what the grade is and what it is best used for. Then it compares small tears with medium tears, shows how much to chew, and covers how to cook with it. If jaw training is your goal instead, however, our guide to Chios mastic gum medium tears covers the firmer grade.
What are small tears, and what are they best used for?
Mastic gum, or mastiha in Greek, is an aromatic resin that weeps from the mastic tree (Pistacia lentiscus var. Chia) after growers score the bark by hand. It drips, hardens in the sun into little crystal shaped drops known as tears, and then growers clean it and sort it by size into small, medium, and large.
Small tears are the smallest of those grades, so each piece has less mass and warms through quickly. As a result, within a minute or two of chewing it turns from a brittle crystal into a smooth, pliable gum. That easy behavior explains what small tears are best for:
- A relaxed daily chew for fresh breath and oral care
- A gentle first experience for anyone new to raw resin
- Cooking and baking, because the small pieces grind into a fine powder with little effort
Every Titans Jaw tin holds 100 percent pure Chios mastiha, lab tested, with one single ingredient and no sugar, no synthetic flavors, and no fillers. So the grade changes only the size and feel of the pieces, never what is inside them.
Small tears vs medium tears: which should you buy?
The honest answer is that it depends on what you want the resin to do. Small tears soften fast and stay gentle. Medium tears, however, are the firmer and rarer cut that keeps pushing back, which is what people who train the jaw are after. Here is the short version.
| Small tears | Medium tears | |
|---|---|---|
| Feel | Soft, forgiving, quick to melt | Firm, holds resistance longer |
| Best for | Daily chewing, fresh breath, cooking | Jaw and masseter training |
| Good for beginners | Yes, the easiest start | Better once you are used to chewing |
| Grinds for baking | Easily | Harder to grind fine |
So if you want comfort, fresh breath, or a kitchen ingredient, small tears are the pick. If instead you want the piece to work your jaw through the whole session, go with medium. In fact, plenty of people keep both and reach for whichever suits the day. You can compare them directly on the small tears product page and the medium tears product page.
How much small tear mastic gum should you chew?
Start modest. You do not need a mouthful to feel the benefit, because a small piece softens into plenty of gum on its own.
- First, take one or two small tears.
- Next, let them warm briefly, then chew steadily for about 10 to 20 minutes as they soften.
- Finally, chew once a day, morning or evening, and keep it consistent. After all, a steady daily habit does more than an occasional marathon session.
A Titans Jaw tin holds roughly 56 servings, so at one serving a day it lasts about 4 to 8 weeks. If your jaw tires early, that is normal at first, so simply chew for a shorter stretch and build up over time. Meanwhile, keep the tin closed in a cool, dry spot away from sunlight so the tears stay fresh.
How to use small tears in Greek baking and cooking
This is where small tears earn their keep beyond chewing. Mastiha is a signature ingredient across Greek and eastern Mediterranean kitchens, and because small tears are already tiny, they are the easiest grade to turn into the fine powder that recipes ask for. The flavor is distinctive too, a mix of pine, cedar, and a faint sweet resin note, so a little carries a long way.
Where mastiha shows up in Greek cooking
For example, you will find mastiha in tsoureki, the braided Greek Easter bread. It also appears in kaimaki style ice cream, where it lends that famous stretch and chew, as well as in loukoumi, spoon sweets, rice pudding, and Mastiha liqueur. Because Titans Jaw small tears are food-grade, single-ingredient resin, they slot straight into any of these.
How to grind and use it
Two tips keep it easy. First, grind the tears with a pinch of sugar or a little flour from the recipe in a mortar and pestle, which stops the sticky resin from balling up. Then use it sparingly, since mastiha is strong and around a quarter teaspoon of ground resin is enough for a whole loaf or batch. Overdo it, however, and the flavor turns sharp and almost medicinal, so add a little, taste, and build from there.
Is Chios mastic gum authentic and PDO protected?
Genuine mastiha comes from a single place, the southern part of the Greek island of Chios, where growers cultivate it across 24 traditional mastic villages called the Mastichochoria. The mastic tree yields its resin there and effectively nowhere else at the same quality, because of the local soil, the microclimate, and cultivation methods that have barely changed in centuries.
The EU and UNESCO also formally protect that heritage. Chios mastiha has held Protected Designation of Origin (PDO) status in the European Union since 1997, and in 2014 UNESCO added the traditional know how of cultivating mastic on Chios to its Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity. Because global demand now runs higher than supply, however, some sellers pass off imitation resins as the real thing. Therefore a product that names Chios specifically and lists only pure resin is a reliable sign of authenticity. That is exactly why Titans Jaw sources from Chios and lab tests every batch for purity.
Frequently asked questions
What are small tears in mastic gum? Small tears are the smallest size grade of Chios mastiha resin. Each piece softens quickly into a smooth gum, which makes small tears the most comfortable grade for beginners and daily chewing, and the easiest to grind for cooking.
Small tears versus medium tears, which should I buy? Choose small tears for a comfortable first tin, fresh breath, easy daily chewing, or cooking. Choose medium tears if your main goal is jaw and masseter training, since the firmer grade holds its resistance longer through a chew.
Is small tear mastic gum good for chewing? Yes. Small tears are the gentlest grade to chew because they soften fast, making them ideal for anyone new to raw resin or anyone who wants a smooth daily habit rather than a demanding jaw workout.
Can I use small tears in baking, like tsoureki or ice cream? Yes. Grind a small amount with a pinch of sugar to prevent clumping, then add it sparingly. Small tear mastiha is traditional in tsoureki, kaimaki style ice cream, spoon sweets, rice pudding, and Mastiha liqueur. A little goes a long way.
Is Chios mastic gum authentic and PDO protected? Genuine Chios mastiha holds EU Protected Designation of Origin status, and UNESCO recognizes its cultivation as Intangible Cultural Heritage. So products that name Chios specifically and contain only pure resin are the ones most likely to be authentic.
About Titans Jaw
Titans Jaw offers 100 percent pure Chios mastic gum in small and medium tear grades, and it lab tests every batch for purity, with no fillers or additives. Still weighing it up? Both the small and medium tears in the shop are the same resin in two chewing experiences, so it simply comes down to whether you want an easy chew or a firmer one.
