A relatively unknown food in the western world, carobs have been since the dawn of history, at least 2,000 BC, in the lands of the ancient civilizations, a pleasing addition to the human diet. Throughout the Mediterranean Basin and other semi-arid regions of the

Biblical times the health-food enthusiasts of the Western World have only recently discovered its healthy benefits.

Known as ‘St. John’s bread’, ‘honey locusts’ or ‘carob beans’, carobs are, according to legend, the locusts that were eaten in the wilderness by John the Baptist. Hence, for many centuries in Europe they were called ‘locust’. A. Ward in the Encyclopedia of Food states that the name locust-bean, first applied by the Greeks, had its origin in the semblance of the carob-pod to the large locust and the name in turn gave birth to the supposition that the pods were the locusts which John the Baptist consumed in the wilderness. Ward goes on to say that the locusts John the Baptist ate were actually not the carob pods but the insect that is much relished as a food in a number of desert areas of the East.

The ancient Egyptians used a paste made from carob to bind their mummies and the fruit was eaten on a small scale in the Greek and Roman worlds. However, it was only when the Arabs carried the carob from its indigenous home in the Middle East to the Iberian Peninsula that it became widely known in Europe. The name carob, derived from the Arabic kharrub, from which most of the European languages get its name, is a testimony to its Arab origin.

In 1854, the carob tree was introduced into the U.S.A., but its cultivation never became widespread. Today, it is to be found on a small scale in many parts of the country, chiefly grown for ornamental purposes. Only in southern California is it cultivated on a somewhat large scale for food purposes.

The carob tree ceratonia siliqua is a handsome evergreen of the locust family and comes in a number of species. To thrive, it needs well-drained soil and the same climatic conditions as citrus fruit. The tree of the most widespread variety grows up to 50 feet high and lives to a great age. Its bark is dark red and it produces glossy broad evergreen leaves and small clusters of red flowers. When the tree matures it can yield up to 1,000 pounds of pods annually.

The ripe brown and purple color of the glossy pods, from 4 to 12 inches long, resembling dark brown leather tongues of high-buttoned shoes, are the edible part. Freshly gathered, they are soft, pulpy and very palatable. Inside, they contain honey-brown seeds embedded in a sweet and tasty meaty pulp. With the exception of the seeds, these pods are highly nutritious for both humans and livestock.

In the Mediterranean countries they are fed to domesticated animals, especially cattle and horses. In parts of Italy where carobs are so common that the countryside is littered with pods they are widely employed as horse feed. According to A. Aulicino in The New International Cuisine, originally mortadella, a large type of sausage from Bologna, was made from horseflesh and was noted for its distinctive flavour derived from carob-fed horses.

The seeds, usually uniform in size and weight, are believed to be the original carat weights of jewellers. In the Middle Ages, the Arabs who gave us the name and weight, carat, from kharrub, used the carob seeds as weight-stones to weigh precious metals.

and gems. Today, extracts refined from the seeds are commercially used as: thickeners in food; suspending agents to prevent graininess in ice cream; and as a coagulation agent in cheese. Also, they are employed to cure tobacco, as textile sizes and in the manufacture of cosmetics and medicines.

The pulp or flesh of the pod is, in most cases, made into carob chips, flour or syrup. Carob chips resemble chocolate chips in looks and flavour and can be used interchangeably with those produced from cocoa. The flour, which is sold plain or toasted in a good number of health stores, is by far the most important product of the pulp. It is used in bakery products, candies, ice cream and for drinks.

There is a wide variation in the flavour of carob flour. Some are more chocolate-like than others, a number are flat while others are gritty. When the flour, which keeps well if stored in a cool place, is purchased plain, it can be easily toasted by spreading it in thin layers on cookie sheets then baking it in an oven. Care must be taken in the roasting process since the flour burns at high temperatures. The oven should be set at 300° F and the flour, while being toasted, should be stirred a few times for about 15 minutes or until it turns light brown. Toasting enhances its remarkably chocolate-like flavour.

The flour is somewhat stronger in taste than cocoa products and a smaller amount should be used when it is utilized as a substitute for cocoa, chocolate or ovaltine. Carob satisfies the desire for these products yet, it does not fill one with an insatiable

greed as does cocoa and its by-products.

On the other hand, the flour has a few drawbacks. For drinks, it is not quite as soluble as cocoa, settles rather quickly to the bottom of the cup and has high tannin content.

Carob syrup is another healthy-delicious product derived from the pods. It is a natural sweetener and employed mostly in industry as a base for carbonated beverages. In the Middle East, the peasants have since time immemorial made syrup from the carob, which in some parts is the only sweetener utilized on the daily menu. Among the people in these lands there is a common belief that the carob is not only a succulent food but also has medical attributes, especially for heart and stomach ailments.

In a number of villages in Syria and Lebanon one or two families usually make this syrup and retail it in the neighbouring towns. As it has been done for centuries, all work is performed by hand. First the pods are crushed and allowed to ferment in piles for about two months. They are then soaked in water for 24 hours, after which the water is boiled down to the thickness of honey. In North America, this syrup is sold in a Middle Eastern food markets under the name Dibs Kharrub (syrup of the carob).

Besides the utilization of chips, flour and syrup as food or ingredients in food, there are a number of other uses made of the carob. In some countries of Asia, the leaves are used in curries, and around the Mediterranean basin the pods are, at times, roasted and employed as a coffee substitute; to make alcohol; or sold as a confection.

Carobs are a healthy substitute for candy or chocolate. They contain fructose but also other trace nutrients involved in the metabolic pathways of fructose metabolism and are less harmful than refined sucrose or fructose. In addition, they do not contain caffeine or other stimulants and are less allergenic than most confections. Mothers who know their benefits prefer them above all other sweets as children’s treats.

In the last few years, carobs, dry, whole or further manufactured are increasingly becoming highly esteemed by health-food advocates. Why, in the past, they did not become more widely appreciated in the Western World remains a mystery.

An excellent energy food, they contain about 47 percent natural sugars and 7 percent protein. In addition, they are rich in calcium and phosphorus and contain some iron, copper and magnesium, making them ideal for the blood, bones and teeth. Also, their fat content is low and they are free of cholesterol.

Carob flour has near three times as high fibre content as barley or corn and is as useful as wheat bran. It is recommended for certain types of diarrhoea and effective when employed in babies’ formulas to keep food in the stomach.

The flour, or as it is sometimes called, powder, is sold under various trade names. El Molino Cara Coa Carob Powder, Life- stream, and Natri-Mix are common brand names found in health stores in the U.S.A. and Canada. Carob chips, candies, drinks, syrups and whole pods of a sweet variety are also retailed in these stores and Mediterranean markets. Only in the small rural centres will it be difficult to find carobs and its products.

A good beginning into the world of carob is to substitute this nourishing food in all recipes that call for chocolate or cocoa.