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CAROB THROUGHOUT HISTORY
Carob originated from the area around the Persian Gulf, from where its cultivation first spread to the territory of Asia Minor, then to Syria, Lebanon, Palestine ,Israel and Egypt, and then the Phoenicians spread this endurable plant further along the Mediterranean. It was probably brought to Italy by the Greeks or the Phoenicians, the Arabs planted it in North Africa and Spain, the Spanish took it to South America and Mexico, and the British to India, South Africa and Australia. Even today, this tree, which does not require much but gives much, is grown in many parts of the world. The countries with the largest carob production are Spain, Portugal, Italy, Morocco, Turkey and Greece.
Carob was brought to us by the Greeks who established their colonies on the Adriatic coast. They also founded Issa, the oldest city in Croatia and brought carob culture along, which is still being held on the island of Vis. During the Venetian rule Komiža was the leading community where carob was cultivated in Dalmatia and planting was encouraged even in a way that it was a condition for marriage.
The locust was probably named after the Greek word keration, which means horn, because of its specific form of pods. In some languages the name derived from the original word so we have an English carob or an Italian carruba and in some languages it derived from the translation as in ours, it is called rogač, in Czech rohovnik or rožkov in Bulgarian.
It was the translation where one of the biblical misunderstandings occurred. In the Gospel of Matthew and the Gospel of Mark it is mentioned that St. John the Baptist, in order to feed himself in the desert, ate grasshoppers and wild honey. It is more likely that carob was mentioned because it was colloquially called “grasshopper” because of similarity of the fruits while green and would be very welcomed in St. John’s diet. The carob is also known as Johannisbrot – John's bread in German.
The carob is also mentioned in the New Testament: the prodigal son, from the story of Jesus in the Gospel of Luke, after scattering the property his father gave him, hungry he wanted to satiate with pods of carob,which pigs ate.
Carob originated from the area around the Persian Gulf, from where its cultivation first spread to the territory of Asia Minor, then to Syria, Lebanon, Palestine ,Israel and Egypt, and then the Phoenicians spread this endurable plant further along the Mediterranean. It was probably brought to Italy by the Greeks or the Phoenicians, the Arabs planted it in North Africa and Spain, the Spanish took it to South America and Mexico, and the British to India, South Africa and Australia. Even today, this tree, which does not require much but gives much, is grown in many parts of the world. The countries with the largest carob production are Spain, Portugal, Italy, Morocco, Turkey and Greece.
Carob was brought to us by the Greeks who established their colonies on the Adriatic coast. They also founded Issa, the oldest city in Croatia and brought carob culture along, which is still being held on the island of Vis. During the Venetian rule Komiža was the leading community where carob was cultivated in Dalmatia and planting was encouraged even in a way that it was a condition for marriage.
The locust was probably named after the Greek word keration, which means horn, because of its specific form of pods. In some languages the name derived from the original word so we have an English carob or an Italian carruba and in some languages it derived from the translation as in ours, it is called rogač, in Czech rohovnik or rožkov in Bulgarian.
It was the translation where one of the biblical misunderstandings occurred. In the Gospel of Matthew and the Gospel of Mark it is mentioned that St. John the Baptist, in order to feed himself in the desert, ate grasshoppers and wild honey. It is more likely that carob was mentioned because it was colloquially called “grasshopper” because of similarity of the fruits while green and would be very welcomed in St. John’s diet. The carob is also known as Johannisbrot – John's bread in German.
The carob is also mentioned in the New Testament: the prodigal son, from the story of Jesus in the Gospel of Luke, after scattering the property his father gave him, hungry he wanted to satiate with pods of carob,which pigs ate.
Even the ancient Egyptians knew the healing powers of the carob, so in many tombs, pods and seeds were found and the adherence of the carob was also used to help mummification. The ancient Greeks called it theEgyptianfig and used it as a natural dessert, just like the Romans who ate fresh green legumes.
It was at the era of the Antiquity that it was discovered that carob seeds varied very little in weight, so they were used to weigh gold. Carob seed weights 0.18 grams, which is 1 carat (keration), a measuring unit for gold. In ancient Rome, such a pure gold coin, called Solidus, weighed exactly 24 carats and because of this even today, 24-carat gold is considered a pure gold.
With its durability and nutrition value, the carob helped people to survive during many difficult times throughout history. It was eaten by Mohamed's soldiers and Roman legionaries. The builders of Egyptian pyramids were also eating carob during their pauses between hard work, just like seamen on long journeys. Carob helped Maltese people survive harsh conditions during the Second World War.
At the beginning of the war, Spanish doctor Ramos observed that the hungry children who ate carob to soothe hunger had less digestive problems than those who did not consume carob at all; in the research, a group of infants suffering from diarrhoea and treated with carob recovered twice as quickly as babies treated with conventional medicines. Carob was both, food and medicine.
This magnificent plant is still celebrated all over the world. The Jews have a special ceremony called Tu BiShvat (New Year of the Tree) when they plant seeds of new trees in winter and eat its dried fruits, especially carob. The Italians made sacred rosary beads out of carob and we have a place called Rogač on the island of Šolta. Thus, the rich history of the ancient carob continues.
It was at the era of the Antiquity that it was discovered that carob seeds varied very little in weight, so they were used to weigh gold. Carob seed weights 0.18 grams, which is 1 carat (keration), a measuring unit for gold. In ancient Rome, such a pure gold coin, called Solidus, weighed exactly 24 carats and because of this even today, 24-carat gold is considered a pure gold.
With its durability and nutrition value, the carob helped people to survive during many difficult times throughout history. It was eaten by Mohamed's soldiers and Roman legionaries. The builders of Egyptian pyramids were also eating carob during their pauses between hard work, just like seamen on long journeys. Carob helped Maltese people survive harsh conditions during the Second World War.
At the beginning of the war, Spanish doctor Ramos observed that the hungry children who ate carob to soothe hunger had less digestive problems than those who did not consume carob at all; in the research, a group of infants suffering from diarrhoea and treated with carob recovered twice as quickly as babies treated with conventional medicines. Carob was both, food and medicine.
This magnificent plant is still celebrated all over the world. The Jews have a special ceremony called Tu BiShvat (New Year of the Tree) when they plant seeds of new trees in winter and eat its dried fruits, especially carob. The Italians made sacred rosary beads out of carob and we have a place called Rogač on the island of Šolta. Thus, the rich history of the ancient carob continues.
USE OF CAROB
The earliest records of carob use in cooking dates back to ancient Mesopotamia where it was used in the preparation of sweet dishes and drinks. Since then, it has been used for food purposes, including its dried pods, 90% of which are meat and 10% seeds. The seeds are often separated before grinding because they are used for other purposes and the pulp is usually either ground in the so-called carob flour or sold in pieces. Before sugar cane was so widespread, carob had been used as a substitute for sugar, and today, it is used as a healthier alternative to chocolate or cocoa.
Carob desserts are a healthier variant, lower in calories and with a lower fat content compared to classic chocolate and due to their protein content, it is used in the production of energy food for athletes. In Malta, Crete, and Cyprus, every house has a bottle of carob syrup that is used not only as a sweetener or topping but also as traditional cough medicine. In Egypt, they make kharrub, a cold drink they sell on the streets as a favourite summer refreshment, and they make it by caramelizing carob and mixing it with water. In Libya, carob syrup is used as a dressing for asida, a popular dough dish. Carob flour replaces chocolate, and in some doughs, it can also replace eggs. It is used to make jams, puddings, and spreads.
Carob seeds are used to obtain rubber carbs (E 410) - a natural thickener, emulsifier and stabilizer. In Germany, they are used roasted as a substitute for coffee, in Spain they are mixed with coffee, and they can also be eaten as snacks.
Carob is also used in animal diet, especially pets who are not allowed to eat chocolate because of theobromine and caffeine which are harmful to them. That is why dog sweets are often made from carob. In Spain, donkeys were traditionally fed on carob, and this was also the custom on the island of Vis.
The earliest records of carob use in cooking dates back to ancient Mesopotamia where it was used in the preparation of sweet dishes and drinks. Since then, it has been used for food purposes, including its dried pods, 90% of which are meat and 10% seeds. The seeds are often separated before grinding because they are used for other purposes and the pulp is usually either ground in the so-called carob flour or sold in pieces. Before sugar cane was so widespread, carob had been used as a substitute for sugar, and today, it is used as a healthier alternative to chocolate or cocoa.
Carob desserts are a healthier variant, lower in calories and with a lower fat content compared to classic chocolate and due to their protein content, it is used in the production of energy food for athletes. In Malta, Crete, and Cyprus, every house has a bottle of carob syrup that is used not only as a sweetener or topping but also as traditional cough medicine. In Egypt, they make kharrub, a cold drink they sell on the streets as a favourite summer refreshment, and they make it by caramelizing carob and mixing it with water. In Libya, carob syrup is used as a dressing for asida, a popular dough dish. Carob flour replaces chocolate, and in some doughs, it can also replace eggs. It is used to make jams, puddings, and spreads.
Carob seeds are used to obtain rubber carbs (E 410) - a natural thickener, emulsifier and stabilizer. In Germany, they are used roasted as a substitute for coffee, in Spain they are mixed with coffee, and they can also be eaten as snacks.
Carob is also used in animal diet, especially pets who are not allowed to eat chocolate because of theobromine and caffeine which are harmful to them. That is why dog sweets are often made from carob. In Spain, donkeys were traditionally fed on carob, and this was also the custom on the island of Vis.
Botanical and morphological properties of carob
Plant kingdom : Plantae
Plant division: Magnoliophyta
Class: Magnoliopsida
Order: Fabales
Family: Fabaceae
Subfamily: Caesalpinioideae
Genus: Ceratonia
Sort: Ceratonia siliqua L.
Carob is an evergreen long-life fruit tree, living up to more than 200 years. The carob tree is 5- 1o metres high, even up to 15 metres in favourale conditions. Its bark is reddish brown. Its braches are strong, laid evenly so its tree top falls all the way down to the soil. Its wood fourishes from July to late autumn and its fruit ripen very slowly, only in summer or autumn of the next year, inflorenscences and fruit can be seen on the tree at the same time Carob fruit is a flat, tenacious, leathery, mildly bent, tough, smooth, a bit shiny and dry dark red seedpod 12-20 metres long. It contains 10 – 15 very hard, shiny, reddish-brown seeds. Four carob sorts are grown in Croatia out of which domestic ones are: Komiški tusti, Šipan and Mekiš or Puljiški from the Italian origin of Puglia. All the listed sorts are distinguished as regular and abundant crop.
Plant kingdom : Plantae
Plant division: Magnoliophyta
Class: Magnoliopsida
Order: Fabales
Family: Fabaceae
Subfamily: Caesalpinioideae
Genus: Ceratonia
Sort: Ceratonia siliqua L.
Carob is an evergreen long-life fruit tree, living up to more than 200 years. The carob tree is 5- 1o metres high, even up to 15 metres in favourale conditions. Its bark is reddish brown. Its braches are strong, laid evenly so its tree top falls all the way down to the soil. Its wood fourishes from July to late autumn and its fruit ripen very slowly, only in summer or autumn of the next year, inflorenscences and fruit can be seen on the tree at the same time Carob fruit is a flat, tenacious, leathery, mildly bent, tough, smooth, a bit shiny and dry dark red seedpod 12-20 metres long. It contains 10 – 15 very hard, shiny, reddish-brown seeds. Four carob sorts are grown in Croatia out of which domestic ones are: Komiški tusti, Šipan and Mekiš or Puljiški from the Italian origin of Puglia. All the listed sorts are distinguished as regular and abundant crop.
Chemical composition of carob
Carob is a big source of nutrients with an abundance of hydrocarbons, vitamins, minerals and polyphenols and has low protein and fat content. Carob pods with 6.01% water contain 18.1 - 60% sugar, of which the largest share is: glucose (5 - 6%), fructose (5 - 7%) and sucrose (32 - 38%), 9, 69 - 50% fibre, 3 - 4.71% protein and 0.23 - 0.8% lipid. Carob is also rich in minerals such as potassium (1100 mg / 100 g), calcium (307 mg / 100 g), magnesium (42 mg / 100 g), sodium (13 mg / 100 g), iron (104 mg / 100 g). ). Carob fruit is a complex mixture of primary and secondary metabolites and contains a wide variety of polyphenols, in addition to which numerous amino acids are also present in carob fruits. 100 grams of carob powder has 228 kcal, is rich in vitamins A, B, B2, B3 and D. It is an ideal food for survival because it has a long shelf life, does not require special storage and can be eaten without any preparation.
Carob is a big source of nutrients with an abundance of hydrocarbons, vitamins, minerals and polyphenols and has low protein and fat content. Carob pods with 6.01% water contain 18.1 - 60% sugar, of which the largest share is: glucose (5 - 6%), fructose (5 - 7%) and sucrose (32 - 38%), 9, 69 - 50% fibre, 3 - 4.71% protein and 0.23 - 0.8% lipid. Carob is also rich in minerals such as potassium (1100 mg / 100 g), calcium (307 mg / 100 g), magnesium (42 mg / 100 g), sodium (13 mg / 100 g), iron (104 mg / 100 g). ). Carob fruit is a complex mixture of primary and secondary metabolites and contains a wide variety of polyphenols, in addition to which numerous amino acids are also present in carob fruits. 100 grams of carob powder has 228 kcal, is rich in vitamins A, B, B2, B3 and D. It is an ideal food for survival because it has a long shelf life, does not require special storage and can be eaten without any preparation.