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Chocolate inspires intense feelings in most of us but it isn’t always a friend of the scale if you’re watching your weight. Could there be anything in the world better than chocolate? Well just maybe there is.
Carob is a natural substitute for chocolate or cocoa. Top quality Carob tastes and looks a lot like cocoa, but with much less fat, no caffeine and higher amounts of natural sugar. Chocolate is made from cocoa which has a natural bitter flavor. Chocolate makers mask this bitterness with large amounts of sugar and fat (typically milk and/ or cream) which gives chocolate its sinful rich texture. Carob is also sometimes called Locus Bean, Carob Tree, Egyptian Fig and St. Johns Bread. Carobs have been consumed as food dating back 5,000 years and are referred to as “Locust Beans” that were eaten by John the Baptist. Carob seeds were also used as a unit of weight measurement by the early Greeks and Romans. Carobs come from the carob tree which is in the same plant family as legumes (beans) and peas. Indigenous to Egypt and Western Asia it is now grown in the tropical climates in Australia, Latin America, the Mediterranean and the US. Our Organic Roasted Carob is harvested in Turkey. The Carob tree is tolerant to drought conditions ad grows to a height of 50 feet. It takes 6-8 years before the tree bears fruit, called carob pods, and by its twelve year they bear more than 100 pounds of carob pods per year. As the tree matures the yield increases to more than 200 pounds of pods and can bear fruit for more than 100 years. Once harvested the long bean-like carob pods are roasted or cooked for a short time usually 10-15 minutes at 340°. Roasting really brings out the chocolaty flavor. Our Organic Carob Chips are similar to chocolate chips are used in baking and can be found in a variety of breads, cakes, candy, cookies, fudge, muffins, ice cream, icing, shakes and smoothies. Toss these in your blender and make your own carob powder which will give you the same appearance and texture as baking cocoa (just healthier). We also like to use these in homemade trail mix and to top our morning oatmeal. When substituting carob for chocolate in a recipe, use 1 tablespoon of water plus 3 tablespoons of carob powder for each ounce of unsweetened chocolate. When substituting carob powder for cocoa powder, use equal amounts. Helpful hint: when substituting carob powder for cocoa powder, don’t forget to reduce the amount of sugar called for in the recipe because of the natural sweetness of roasted carob. Fun fact: Roasted Carob Chips are a safe for dogs and are perfect if you make your own natural dog treats. Roasted Carob Chips nutritional information: 1 ounce of carob powder (roughly ¼ cup) has approximately 100 calories, 10 grams of fiber and .2 grams of fat. We also carry Organic Cacao Nibs and Organic Cacao Powder. |
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