carob

carob, (Ceratonia siliqua), tree of the pea family (Fabaceae), grown for its edible pods. Carob is native to the eastern Mediterranean region and is cultivated elsewhere. The ripe dried pods can be ground into a powder that is somewhat similar in flavour to cocoa, and carob powder, chips, and syrups are commonly used as an alternative to chocolate in health-food products. The names locust bean and St. John’s bread stem from the belief that the “locusts” on which John the Baptist fed were carob pods.

The tree, about 15 metres (50 feet) tall, has pinnately compound (feather-formed) glossy evergreen leaves with thick leaflets. The red flowers are followed by flat leathery pods 7.5–30 cm (3–12 inches) long. The pods contain 5 to 15 hard brown seeds embedded in a sweet edible pulp.