All you need to know about carob
On the hunt for something sweet like chocolate but less calories, have just come across the best blog store EVER! let me introduce you to carob which which are now in our new spread HONEYTELLA. Although they do look strikingly similar to your classic chocolate favorite, carobs are not chocolate. While chocolate stems from cocoa pods, carob stems from carob pods. On shelves, it can typically be found in two forms: chips and powder. So what exactly is carob? Here are the facts.
*Fast Facts*
- Place of Origin: Mediterranean
- Other names: Locust bean, St. John’s bread
- Substitute: Cocoa powder
- Found: Health food stores and some larger specialty shops
- Shelf Life: Up to 1 year
What Is Carob?
Carob grows on trees, is a member of the legume family, and is frequently turned into a popular chocolate substitute. It’s also known as locust bean or St. John’s bread, and has been cultivated since the late 1800s in the Mediterranean and other parts of the world with similar climates. The tree produces brown, leathery pods six to 12 inches long with inedible seeds that turn from green to brown as they ripen. Raw, ripe pods are consumed by humans as a sweetmeat, but more often are used as animal feed due to their high sugar content.
The seeds produce a gum used in food manufacturing as a thickener, food stabilizer, and emulsifying agent for ice cream, candy, salad dressings, and other products. Carob’s most familiar preparation, however, is a brown powder made from drying, roasting, and grinding the edible pulp from inside the pod for use as a chocolate substitute in baked goods or beverages. Depending on the recipe, carob powder needs no extra prep and is slightly more expensive than cocoa powder.
Carob vs. Cacao
Carob comes from the pods of a Mediterranean evergreen tree, while cacao beans (also called seeds) come from a tree native to Central and South America. Carob is made from roasting and grinding the edible pulp from inside the pods. Cacao beans are fermented, ground into a paste, and used to create chocolate. Carob is naturally sweet, whereas sweeteners are added to cacao as it’s quite bitter in its natural form. Additionally, caffeine and theobromine, stimulants found in chocolate, are absent from carob.
How to Cook With Carob
Carob powder can be used like cocoa powder and in the same ratio in baked goods, though it is naturally sweeter so you may need to reduce the amount of sugar if you’re substituting it. Carob can also be transformed into baking chips (sweetened and unsweetened) and syrup. Carob chips melt differently than their chocolate counterparts. They taste different, too, so some people like to use a mixture of carob and chocolate chips in their cookie and brownie recipes. Due to the natural sweetness of carob, the chips often have no added sugar.
A typical substitution for a one-ounce square of chocolate is three tablespoons carob powder mixed with one tablespoon water. Carob syrup, sometimes called carob molasses, is a reduction of the pulp and water resulting in a chocolaty and fruity flavor. Try it instead of maple syrup on pancakes or use it to make a savory glaze for roasted meats and vegetables.
Where to Buy Carob
Once only found in health food stores, most larger grocery stores and specialty shops now carry carob powder and chips in the natural food aisle. They are sold by the bag, container, or in bulk by the ounce and are also readily available online. The powder can be purchased toasted (medium or light) or raw, which is not as sweet.
Unless you live in USDA Plant Hardiness Zones 9-11, where carob trees grow in Mediterranean-like climates, you’ll have to purchase whole pods online.
Storage
Store carob powder, chips, and whole dried pods in an airtight container in a cool, dark place for up to one year.
Nutrition and Benefits
For people with milk allergies or lactose intolerance, carob can be a good substitute for chocolate as it’s dairy-free. For people with sensitivities to caffeine or theobromine – stimulants both found in chocolate (albeit in small levels) – carob is a good alternative. Because carob is naturally sweet with less fat content, it came to be seen as a healthier alternative to chocolate in the 1950s. It doesn’t, however, contain the antioxidants of dark chocolate.
SHOP NOW and buy your chocolate spread alternative enriched with Carob
About Honeytella
Superfood spread, creamed honey enriched with taste and properties or carob and cinnamon
- 100% natural ingredients
- Free from saturated fat and palm oil
- 1/3 less calories than chocolate and has 3 times more calcium!
- Recommended for people suffering from allergy,
- Contains over 90% of wildflower honey rich in pollen which acts as antigens.
- Ideal for children and adults suitable for people with allergies
- Perfect with bread for breakfast, crepes, desserts
- Carob (carob tree) – is one of the oldest plants in the world. It has a number of nutritional values. It tastes like cocoa and can be used as its replacement.