Carob - what is it

Healthy food is gaining momentum all over the world. New recipes are being developed using very special products, unusual for people who adhere to ordinary cuisine. One such product is carob. What it is and how it can be used, we will try to answer this question.

What is carob

In the southern edges of the Mediterranean, the carob tree grows, its fruits are called carob. This sweet product should not be consumed in its usual form. Therefore, before preparing dishes from them, the fruits are dried under the sun. After that, nondescript pods acquire a sweetish taste.

Before the carob tree begins to bear fruit, it grows for 15 years, and therefore carob is considered a very valuable product. Interestingly, it was the size of the carob fruit that was adopted as an official measure in jewelry and called the carat. The fact is that all carob seeds have exactly the same size and weight.

If you believe the encyclopedic publications, then it was the carob who satisfied the hunger in the desert, John the Baptist. Therefore, in Germany, carob is also called John's bread.

The taste of carob is very similar to sweet cocoa powder, so in the right diet it is used as a substitute for chocolate. Carob is recommended for dietary nutrition for overweight people and for diabetics.

The benefits and harms of carob

We have already noted that carob is used in healthy meals. In addition, this product has health benefits. It is used to make cough medicines, drugs that increase immunity, as well as means to normalize the gastrointestinal tract.

Among the useful properties of this product are the following:

• Carob is rich in antioxidants that are beneficial for rejuvenating the body. They remove free radicals that destroy skin cells.
• This product does not contain caffeine, which is harmful to some categories of people. Therefore, carob dishes and drinks can be consumed by people with hypertension, pregnant women and children. It is known that there are no addictive substances in carob. Their absence causes a sharp change in mood in a person. Carob drink does not contain such substances, on the contrary, it has a calming effect.
• Carob differs favorably from cocoa in terms of fat content. This indicator for a carob is 10 times less. For this reason, this product belongs to the category dietary and is stored longer. Due to the absence of oxidizing fat, food may not spoil for a long time.
• In a small amount, there is fiber in carob, which, together with antioxidants, is involved in the removal of harmful substances from orgasm.
• With regular use of the powder from the fruits of this plant, the concentration of cholesterol in the blood decreases, which is an excellent prevention of cardiovascular diseases.
• The prepared drink from carob no longer needs additional sweetening, since this powder is several times sweeter than cocoa. It contains natural sugars that are not harmful.
• Replacing with carob synthetic sweeteners, you can reduce hunger and appetite.

But still, with all the useful properties of this product, you cannot use carob without first consulting your doctor. Carob can cause potential harm if consumed in excess. In order not to get an allergy response from the body, drive it gradually.

Conditions in which the use of carob must be carried out with caution include:

• Diabetes mellitus and a sharp change in the concentration of glucose in the blood. Of course, the increase in sugar is slow, because in carob only natural sweeteners.
• Lactose intolerance limits the consumption of carob to only a natural drink. For such people, mixing this product with milk may develop a stool disorder.
• With individual intolerance to large amounts of fructose.

Carob: recipes

Homemade candy with carob. Heat a tablespoon of milk, 4 tablespoons of carob, 10 g of butter and 1 tablespoon of sugar over low heat. This will create a thick frosting. Now take prunes, dates, or any other dried fruit and dip them in the frosting. Spread the candies on a flat dish and cool in the refrigerator.

Using the same recipe, you can make homemade chocolate from carob if you put the prepared icing in a mold and freeze it in the refrigerator.

Carob drink. Mix 200 ml of water and 250 ml of milk in a saucepan, add 1.5 tablespoons of carob and put on low heat. Cook the mixture until boiling, stirring all the time, and remove from heat. Now add a spoonful of honey to the drink and cool slightly.