Organic Carob Chips

What is Carob?

The carob pod is the sweet and nutrient-packed fruit of the carob tree. These lush carob trees are evergreens that can reach heights as tall as 15 meters. The leaves of the carob tree are pinnately compound, which means that they contain two to six pairs of oval leaflets.

Although carob trees are found in California, carob is native to eastern Mediterranean locations where it has been a food source for over 4,000 years. The carob bean is also called St. John's bread or the locust bean.

The Nutrient-Packed Carob Pod

Carob pods are classified as legumes. They can be typically grown between 15 to 30 centimeters long, while remaining thick and broad. What makes the carob pod so sweet is its sucrose content. Carob contains approximately 40% sucrose. About 8% percent of its composition is protein. This luscious legume also contains rich stores of vitamins A and B as well as many minerals such as:

• Calcium
• Iron
• Magnesium
• Manganese
• Barium
• Copper
• Nickel

More importantly, carob has only one third the calories of chocolate and is virtually fat free. Chocolate is approximately half fat! Carob is also high in a fiber called pectin.

Carob's non allergenic factors are attributed to its lack of phenylethylamine—which can trigger migraines—and fromamine, which can cause both migraines and allergic reactions.

Unlike chocolate, carob contains no oxalic acid to prevent the absorption of calcium and zinc. Oxalic acid is thought to be one of the substances in chocolate which may contribute to teenage acne. Some teenagers notice an increase in breakouts after the consumption of chocolate. Since oxalic acid can interfere with the uptake of zinc (an important mineral for clear skin), skin concerns may be well founded.

Perhaps the most valuable selling point of carob is that it does not contain theobromine and caffeine, two stimulant substances found in chocolate. Carob's natural sugar content also means that you will have to include less sugar in your baked goods when substituting carob for chocolate.

Ultimately, if you can adjust to the subtle taste difference, organic carob chips are by far the healthier sweet!

A Possible Health Perk

Carob has long been used to treat diarrhea. Because of its high content of sugars, the carob plant is gummy and can aid in the binding of watery stool. Moreover, the tannins in carob are insoluble and will not bind to proteins like many other tannins do. Instead, these tannins bind with toxins to prevent the growth of bad intestinal bacteria. Both the binding and antibacterial properties of carob are what make it a beneficial food for diarrhea.

Baking With Organic Carob Chips

Organic carob chips can easily be found at the health or organic food store in the baking goods section. Like chocolate, carob is made into small baking chips by combining carob powder with palm kernel oil and various sweeteners and binding agents.

You may be able to find a brand of unsweetened organic carob chips that will add dairy to the carob mix in order to bind and accentuate the flavor. Sweetened carob chips will often contain natural sweeteners such as malted barley syrup, which is still better for you than refined sugar.

If you are baking with organic carob chips, you will find yourself able to use almost every recipe that calls for chocolate chips. From carob chip cookies to carob covered almond balls, you can really span the assortment of formerly chocolate dominated desserts. However, you may want to adjust the amount of chips used in the recipe to accommodate for the fact that organic carob chips have a sweeter taste than chocolate chips.