Let's begin a brief introduction to our friend, the carob pod, or should we say carob powder? Well, carob powder comes from the carob pod, which comes from the carob tree. If you know this already, I don't mean to insult your intelligence, but it seems that many people in the U.S. don't know anything about carob. Maybe you've seen it on the shelf of a health food store and ignored it, which is a shame because it is really tasty as well as nutritious. As a child I have memories of eating desserts with chocolate and have no memory of eating carob until I was in my twenties, but that's just me. Many people around the globe have found carob to be a delightful food that especially adds to many desserts where you could use either chocolate or carob.
The Carob Tree, or Ceratonia siliqua is an evergreen member of the pea family (notice the carob pods' similarity to sugar snap peas) and is native to the Eastern Mediterranean Basin. It has been cultivated there for thousands of years as a sustaining food source. The pods are also known as legumes. In German it is called Johannisbrot, which is translated as "John's bread," and refers to John the Baptist eating carob pods when he was in the wilderness (your bible probably says locust). Locust trees and carob trees are in the same plant family.
It is native to the Mediterranean region and the Middle East, but it has been widely cultivated in many different parts of the world. According to WORLDATLAS, the top producing countries of carob are Spain, Italy, Portugal, Greece and Morocco. It also grows well in Australia and certain parts of the southern U.S., and although there has traditionally been more of a demand for it in it's native areas, as is natural, it is finding an increasing market in the U.S. and Australia as many are finding it's great taste and benefits as a food.
You can look at it as a chocolate substitute, but really it is different than chocolate altogether. Carob has a sweet, nutty flavor and some say it does not have as rich of a flavor as cocoa. Typically you'll find carob powder in a roasted form which has a darker, possibly richer flavor than the raw carob powder, which is lighter in color and has a sweeter taste. Carob is caffeine-free, whereas unsweetened cocoa powder contains 25-30 mg of caffeine and 200 mg of theobromine in 2 tablespoons. Carob contains naturally occurring sugar and is not bitter like cocoa so it doesn't require as much sweetener when used in drinks and baked goods. Plus, it is low in fat, contains Calcium and Potassium as well as a high amount of dietary fiber. Carob supports digestive health and helps to regulate blood sugar levels. ¹
Carob doesn't just come in the form of powder, it is made into chips similar to chocolate, can be used in tea blends for a rich, naturally sweet flavor, and it's seeds are used to produce the thickening agent called locust bean gum, used in ice cream and other foods.
Overall, carob gives us a wonderful food that has nourished people around the world for thousands of years, and in these modern times (in my opinion) should not be overlooked as a bland substitute for chocolate, but rather given a chance as a flavorful addition to one's diet, as it is a truly healing food.
¹ sources: https://fdc.nal.usda.gov/, https://www.healthbenefitstimes.com/science-backed-health-benefits-of-carob/