Terebinth
Pistacia terebinthus

Family: Anacardiaceae

What it is like

A shrub or small tree. It grows 10 m tall. It loses its leaves during the year. The leaves are compound and 10-20 cm long. The pinnae have 5-11 opposite oval leaflets. These are shiny and 2-6 cm long by 103 cm wide. Trees are separately male and female. The flowers are reddish-purple. The fruit are small and round and 5-7 mm long. They are blue and turn red to black when ripe.

Where it is found

It is a Mediterranean climate plant. It grows up to 600 m above sea level.

Countries/locations it is found in

Balkans, Bosnia, Britain, Canada, Crete, Cyprus, Europe, Gibraltar, Greece, Iran, Italy, Lebanon, Macedonia, Mediterranean, Middle East, Morocco, North America, Portugal, Slovenia, Spain, Syria, Turkey, Türkiye

How it is used for food

The fruit are used to make a drink. The dry fruit is used as coffee. The fruit are eaten fresh, dried or roasted. They are also used to make a special bread. The young leaves are eaten alone. They are also added to pickles. They are also fried with onion and egg. The flowers are eaten raw. The oil from the fruit is used in cooking.

It is cultivated.

Edible parts

Fruit, leaves, flowers, oil, seeds - spice

How it is grown

Its other names

Local names

Bitme, Bittim, Cetek, Cetlemik, Citlenbik, Kizwan, Legnamaro, Lihopernata rujevina, Menengic, Sigoro, Smrdljika, Tetre

Synonyms

Lentiscus vulgaris Garsault; Pistacia terebinthina St-Lag.; Terebinthus communis Dum.Cours.; Terebinthus vulgaris Dum.Cours.;