GAZ OF KHUNSAR - THE MANNA OF PERSIA

Gaz is one of the most popular traditional sweets in Iran. Although mi llions of people enjoy it, the vast majority is completely unaware tha t this confection is made with a sweetening agent, gaz of Khunsar, exu ded by the last instar nymph of a small insect (Cyamophila astragalico la Gegechkori, Psyllidae) and collected from a spiny shrub (Astragalus adscendens Boiss. & Haussk., Leguminosae) which grows wild in western central Iran. For those who enjoy it, the pleasant flavor of gaz is s ufficient in itself but for scientists the story of this fructose-rich exudate is more interesting.