Carob
Ceratonia siliquaCarob powder, used as a cocoa substitute, contains no caffeine or theobromine.
What is Carob?
Carob (Ceratonia siliqua) is a plant of the Fabaceae family. Traditions that use it: Anatolia and the Mediterranean. Part used: pods, seeds.
What is Carob used for?
Traditional use: On the Mediterranean coast the pods are made into molasses, eaten by the spoon for coughs and anaemia. Scientific evidence: limited. Rich in fibre and natural sugars.
Is Carob safe?
Safety label: generally safe. Generally safe. The molasses is high in sugar; people with diabetes should eat it in moderation.
Traditional use
On the Mediterranean coast the pods are made into molasses, eaten by the spoon for coughs and anaemia. Carob flour was given to children with diarrhoea.
Jewellers used its seeds as weights because they were believed to be very uniform; the word “carat” comes from here.
In nature
Mix-up risk
No look-alike; only ripe, dried pods are eaten.
Preparation
Pods are dried and eaten, ground into flour or boiled down into molasses.
What science says
Rich in fibre and natural sugars. Small studies report that carob fibre slightly lowers cholesterol and speeds recovery from diarrhoea in children. Locust bean gum from the seed (E410) is used as a food thickener.
Safety
Generally safe. The molasses is high in sugar; people with diabetes should eat it in moderation.
Similar plants
Sources
- ResearchKeçiboynuzunun besinsel, biyokimyasal ve klinik kullanımları (derleme)
- BookBaytop T. Türkiye’de Bitkiler ile Tedavi: Geçmişte ve Bugün. 2. baskı. İstanbul: Nobel Tıp Kitabevleri; 1999.
- Botanical recordKew Plants of the World Online: Ceratonia siliqua
- Titles of research sources are summarised in Turkish on the Turkish page; links open the original English publications.
Written by Edanaz Tınmazlar · Last reviewed: · Türkçe