Because of its natural sweetness, carob is an excellent alternative to cocoa and allows us to prepare biscuits, bars and all kinds of desserts.
It looks like chocolate but it isn't! Its name is carob and is a fruit of the Ceratonia siliqua tree already used in the time of ancient Egypt as a sweetener. It has a texture, color and flavor very similar to cocoa, but if we compare both fruits we will see that they have nothing to do. Carob is six times lower in fat content (in the form of chocolate the difference is greater: 3% fat content compared to 40% of chocolate with conventional cocoa) and does not present the known problems of conventional chocolate (excess sugar and milk ), thanks to its natural sweetness. It also does not require other additives or salt (cocoa contains 700 mg of sodium per 100 g; carob only 100 mg) and is richer in fiber. In addition, it contains small amounts of pectin and lignin, which favor digestion, as well as numerous vitamins and minerals.
Another big difference between carob and cocoa is the presence of stimulants. Unlike cocoa, carob is characterized by not containing theobromine, a substance similar to coffee that causes us a sensation of false energy. In addition, being naturally sweet, it also does not require sugar, hence it is also used to improve the aroma and flavor of numerous food products.
It is a gluten-free food, so it is also suitable for celiac.
How do you get it?
The carob pods are elongated (they reach 20 centimeters long) and acquire a brown color when they are ripe. To get the new chocolate, these pods are dried, roasted and pulverized to give rise to the carob flour with which we can make cakes, ice cream, puddings, cookies, etc.
The tree grows throughout the Mediterranean, but Spain is the world's largest producer, followed by Morocco and Italy. Its cultivation in Spain has a very special meaning, since it has been and continues to be a good food for livestock, as well as an adequate source of nutrients in times of shortage.
Carob spreads
In the market we can find a wide variety of products made with this delicious fruit, although one of the most consumed and known are spreads.
Molenaartje, specialized brand in carob creams leader in Spain, specializes in the elaboration of products based on this fruit and has a wide assortment of cookies, bars, tablets or creams.
Unlike conventional spreads, Molenaartje creams have no sugar or milk and are made with 100% organic ingredients. They are characterized by a color and taste very similar to cocoa but with less fat, calories and without stimulants. They are sweetened with corn syrup and you can find them with several flavors: natural, hazelnuts or duo.
They are distributed in Spain and Portugal by Qbio and you will find them in specialty stores and herbalists.
Source : https://www.elcorreodelsol.com/
Carob, the healthy alternative to chocolate
