Carob and Powder Profile
Also known as
Ceratonia siliqua, Locust Bean, St. John's Bread, Carob Tree.
Introduction
The carob is a tree in the same plant family as beans and peas. Its pods have been used for food for as long as 5,000 years. Carob pods were thought to be the "locust beans" consumed by John the Baptist, hence the name St John's Bread. The Greeks referred to them as the "Egyptian fig" as the tree was first raised in Egypt and Western Asia. It has since adapted to cultivation in the semitropical reaches of the United States, Australia, Latin America and the Mediterranean. The Egyptians used the carob seeds as an adhesive binding during the mummification process. Made popular as a substitute for chocolate, carob powder was once deemed essential to the opera, for saving the voices of performance-weary sopranos. The seeds were also used by the Greeks and Romans as a unit of weight measurement for gold. It has been hypothesized that this is where the term carat is derived from.
Constituents
According to Dr. James Duke, carob seed powder contains alanine, alpha-aminopimelic-acid, amino acids, arginine, ash, aspartic acid, benzoic acid, butyric acid, capronic acid, carubin, catechin tannin, cellulose, ceratoniase, ceratose, chiro-inositol, concanavalin-A, fat, formic acid, fructose, D-galactose, gallic acid, beta-D1,6-DI-O-galloylglucose, beta-D-glucogallin, glucose, glutamic acid, glycine, gum, hemicellulose, histidine, hydroxyproline, invert sugars, isobutyric acid, isoleucine, leucine, leucodelphinidin, lignin, lysine, D-mannose, methionine, mucilage, myoinositol, pectin, pentosane, phenylalanine, pinitol, primverose, proline, protein, saccarose, saponin, serine, starch, sucrose, sugars, tannin, threonine, tocopherol, tyrosine, valine, water, xylose. The pods are rich in antioxidant polyphenols (19.2%), like chocolate.
Parts Used
Seeds and pods
Typical Preparations
The seed and pod powder is usually roasted but can also be consumed raw. Carob is used in the same manner as cocoa powder, and can be sprinkled on food or taken as a tea, extract, or capsule. Raw carob is usually perceived as having a bitter flavor which is lessened significantly by the roasting process. For this reason, the roasted product is more popular for food use.
Summary
As a food, carob is most often used as a hypoallergenic substitute for chocolate.
Precautions
In very rare instances, allergy is possible. Avoid over-consumption until you know you are not allergic.