Carob tree (also carob tree, carob tree or buckhorn tree) belongs to the legume family and is found in the Near East and the Mediterranean region, respectively.
Occurrence and cultivation of the carob tree.
The seeds are used for carob bean gum, which is very suitable as a baking aid for dietary purposes. Carob tree is an evergreen tree and very heat resistant. It can reach heights of up to 20 meters and has a sturdy trunk and spreading branches, creating a hemispherical crown. Its bark is brown and rough. The foliage leaves grow up to 20 centimeters long and are divided into leaf blade and petiole. The leaf blade consists of two to five pairs of leaflets, the surface of which is glossy dark green. The carob tree flowers between September and November, and the inflorescences are racemose and break from the twigs, branches or trunk. They have five teeth and reach a size of 6 to 12 millimeters. Especially the male flowers emit a rather unpleasant odor. The legumes of the tree are chocolate brown and about 10 to 30 centimeters long. Their skin is leathery and there are about 15 seeds in each fruit. The tree crown reaches a diameter of up to 15 meters. Carob tree needs calcareous soil for its growth, but it is very undemanding and thrives without irrigation. However, it is sensitive to frost, so it is rarely found above 500 meters in altitude. The flesh is called “carob” and is aromatically sweet and soft at the beginning, but then becomes harder. Harvesting is done in September, using sticks to knock the fruit off the trees. This causes the cluster of fruit to fall to the ground. The tree is extremely long-lived and can produce pods for about 100 years. Mechanical means are then used to separate the so-called “kibbles” from the pulp. The plant contains fructose, starch, various trace elements, vitamin B, magnesium, calcium, phosphorus, tannin, pectin, and tannins and mucilage. According to a legend, John the Baptist ate the fruit in the desert and was thus saved from starvation. Since then, the fruits have been called carob and the tree carob. The scientific name of the tree is Ceratonia silqua, which translates as “horny pod.” The wild form of the genus may have originated from the Arabian Peninsula. From there it spread along the North African coast to Spain, Portugal and France. Through emigrants, the tree then also reached the southern USA and Australia in the 19th century. Since the seeds of the tree have a constant average weight of about 200 milligrams, they were also used in ancient times as a unit for weighing diamonds. Even today, the designation carat reminds us of this.
Effect and application
The fruit of the carob tree can be consumed fresh or dried. It is also used to make syrup or caftan honey. Especially in Egypt, the juice obtained from the fresh pulp of the fruit is still very popular. Furthermore, carob powder, which is very similar to cocoa powder, can also be produced from the pulp. Carob powder contains no caffeine and is extremely low in fat. The seeds are used for carob flour, which is very suitable as a baking aid for dietary purposes. The flour is used to make gluten-free dietary products and to thicken food. Sometimes alcohol is also extracted from the carob fruit, or it is used as a flavoring for tobacco. When roasted, it is also used as a coffee substitute. The seed coat is also used to make products for the chemical, textile and food industries. The endosperm has extremely good thickening and gelling properties and is therefore also used as a stabilizer for soups, ice cream or dressings. It is also used as a gelling agent for puddings and as a binding agent for cheese or meat pies. In culinary use, it is mainly the white pods of the tree that are known, while the black pods are mainly used for the production of chocolate.
Importance for health, treatment and prevention.
The dietary products produced can be consumed especially by people suffering from celiac disease, colitis or diarrhea.The ingredients are able to bind larger amounts of water in the intestine and form gels from it. Carob is very rich in vitamin B and vitamin D, it also contains a lot of magnesium, potassium and phosphorus. In addition, a substance isolated from the kernel also lowers cholesterol as well as blood sugar levels. In addition, since the flour also has a very low percentage of fats, it can be used for a slimming diet. Especially in health food stores, in addition to the bread powder are now also offered cookies, bars or spreads. In folk medicine, carob bean gum is also used for whooping cough, flu-like infections and bronchial catarrh, respectively. In the case of infections of the intestinal tract, the dried pulp in particular is helpful, and it has also been shown to be very effective in children. In addition, the formation of tumors can also be inhibited. The cells receive protection from so-called free radicals and bowel movements can be regulated. In addition, the intestines and stomach come to rest and the ingredients of carob also help to improve libido. Furthermore, carob-cranberry juice has also proven to be a tonic for the kidneys.
