How Eat It: Carob

For dessert, dumplings will make their way to the Christmas Eve menu in addition to almond soup, but they are also excellent as a dessert. 
Served with a carob sauce or cream. 
And it is this mysterious carob that I am here to talk about.

Carob is a flour made from the carob tree's fruit, commonly known as St. John’s bread.

A historical-religious tidbit: Almost everywhere, it is known as carob and the carob tree. Except in Poland where it is known as St. John’s bread. Partly in England, where both names are used, and a third in “locust tree.” 
Has anyone connected the dots yet? Locusts? St. John? 
The Gospel of Mark 1:6 says of St. John that  he "ate locusts and wild honey”

There is a theory among some researchers that this was a translation error, and it actually referred to the fruit of the carob tree.

Carob also appears in the Gospel of Luke in the parable of the prodigal son, who ate pods fed to pigs. These pods are carob, which is still often used for animal feed today.

You can use carob similarly to cocoa, but while cocoa is bitter, carob is slightly sweet and has a distinctly different taste from cocoa or coffee. It is sometimes described as a substitute for both.

Its advantage lies in its lower calorie content compared to cocoa, despite its high sugar content. In 100 g of carob flour, there are 260 kcal, compared to 460 kcal in cocoa — almost twice as much. 
Cocoa also has a high amount of saturated fats, which are better eliminated from the diet, and it is usually sweetened. So, a carob drink or cake made with carob instead of cocoa will be lower in calories. It will also contain a lot of fiber, which is very important for health. Carob has as much as 42 g of fiber per 100 g! Carob is essentially carbohydrates and fiber — our intestines and gut microbiome love it!

When working with carob flour, you need to be careful — it is very light and can easily coat everything around it in light brown dust.

An interesting, less available product is carob molasses, which is excellent for sauces, marinating vegan protein before frying, and as a general flavor enhancer.

The largest producer of carob is Portugal, followed by Italy and Morocco. 
Carob trees grow in the Mediterranean basin, so if someone is planning a vacation in Spain, Bulgaria, Greece, Portugal, or Sardinia, keep an eye out — you might get to try carob straight from the tree. And feel like John the Baptist. Or the prodigal son. Whatever you prefer.

In these countries, carob is also widely used as an ingredient in desserts and various sweets. Some time ago, I had the chance to try a Lebanese treat: carob molasses with tahini. If you get the chance, don’t hesitate — go for it.

How to use carob: as a substitute for cocoa in cakes, creams, and desserts. You can also drink carob as a beverage or add it to muesli and oatmeal. 
An interesting effect can be achieved if you add carob to chocolate sauce. 
Carob flour can also be used as a thickener in some sauces.

In the photo above: sauce/cream made from coconut yogurt and carob, flavored with agave syrup, lime juice, and a touch of sesame oil. 
Served with puff pastry dumplings filled with an almond-nut filling.

Did you like this text? Do you want more similar ones? Support my blog