Carob

Ceratonia siliqua · Legume

40 pairings

Carob is the roasted, ground pulp of the pod of the carob tree (Ceratonia siliqua), a Mediterranean evergreen legume. Naturally sweet and caffeine-free, the brown powder is used as a cocoa and chocolate substitute, while the hard seeds yield locust bean gum, a widely used food thickener.

Picking a good onedrag

Fresh-milled, full maltFlat, caked, musty

Cupboard stockThe all-rounder for baking and drinks. Sift out the lumps first, and cut the recipe's sugar - this powder is already sweet where cocoa is bitter.Everyday best

Colour through the bagEven colour, the grind a shade coarser

How it movesSoft clumps that collapse under a finger

Packet and dateWell inside date, seal or clip still tight

Smell at the mouth of the bagMalty and sweet, the roast note quieter

What to look for, from fresh-milled, full malt to flat, caked, musty.

What one gives you

100%

Usable yield

All of it - refuse 0, nothing to discard. The loss is upstream: a pod is about 90% pulp to 10% seed, and only the pulp is roasted and milled into powder (the seeds leave to make locust bean gum). 1 tbsp is about 6 g.

Preparing