They say tasty things can’t be healthy. But not carob. Carob powder replaces chocolate and coffee and makes drinks and pastries sweet without sugar so that food with the addition of the product falls into the list of healthy lifestyles. We tell you what is the use of cocoa from carob, if is there harmful and what dishes to add. Well-known chefs explain their opinion about it and Private chef London is one of them.
Why replace chocolate with carob?
One of the first steps towards proper nutrition is the rejection of store-bought sweets. A similar task is faced by those who, voluntarily or for medical reasons, have chosen a dietary table. The most delicious things fall under the taboo: chocolate bars, pasta, cocktails, waffles, cakes, and pastries.
High-calorie content is an important, but not the only reason for the ban. In addition to sugar and fast carbohydrates, such products contain many unnecessary and unhealthy additives for the body. Artificial sweeteners, preservatives to extend the shelf life, and “nuts” – everything that forms sweet addiction, which is difficult to refuse.
But nutritionists have figured out how to turn harmful into useful: for example, replace sugar and cocoa with carob, a powder that is extracted from the carob tree. The still exotic product in our kitchens not only has the same chocolate taste but also fills the diet with vitamins.
Why was carob considered the food of the poor?
The carob tree, also called Ceratonia, grows on the coasts of the Mediterranean and has been known since ancient times. As befits evergreens, it bears fruit all year round: the branches are literally dotted with large, soft pods. Inside are round, brown, and very sweet-tasting beans.
Among the locals, Ceratonia is very popular but does not have the best reputation. Because of its fertility and easy availability, carob has long served as food for the poor and the homeless. In Spain, Portugal, and Cyprus, the beans from which carob is obtained are still eaten just like that, plucking the pods on the street and taking out the beans like candy wrappers.
The fruits of Ceratonia were widely used in medicine. But today the scope is cooking. In addition to carob, beans are also used to make sweet syrup and a natural confectionery thickener, locust bean gum.
Carob pods are described by Antonin Ladinsky in the book “Anna Yaroslavna – Queen of France”, 1961. Historians confirm: since the time of Yaroslav the Wise, sweet beans have been brought from foreign trips as an exotic delicacy. The fruits are also mentioned in the Bible and the Talmud. Other sources call them “Tsaregrad pods” and “black gold of Cyprus”.
What is carob?
Carob powder is made from processed and unprocessed beans. The raw product is lighter: the shade can vary from ocher to coffee, let’s say a pinkish undertone. The taste is nutty, with more natural sweetness, in contrast to the roasted bean, in which heat treatment takes away some of the natural sweetness and a small part of the nutrients. The color of the second is rich, and dark, like cocoa, and the taste is chocolate or caramel.
Both are considered natural chocolate substitutes with good composition. Roasting affects the quality of the product minimally.
Advice
Raw bean powder is suitable for vegans and raw foodists. The cooking method is always indicated on the packaging.
Benefits of carob powder
The first benefit that carob pleases is low-calorie content: only 222 kcal per 100 g. For comparison: in the same portion of granulated sugar there will be almost twice as much – 398 kcal. Cocoa powder has about 300 kcal with an average fat content product, and confectionery chocolate has almost 340 kcal. This makes carob desserts a great alternative to regular sweets.
Energy composition of carob powder per 100 g:
Proteins – 4.62 g;
Fats – 0.65 g;
Carbohydrates – 49.08 g.
Despite the weighty content of carbohydrates, carob has a low glycemic index – of 40 units. Therefore, the product can be consumed by people with diabetes. But before you try, having such a diagnosis, it is still worth consulting with your doctor.
The third reason to switch to sweets with carob is a healthy composition. Unlike other sweeteners, which only reduce the calorie content of food, carob beans saturate the body with nutrients.
Nutrient composition:
- amino acids, antioxidants, and healthy fats, in particular, oleic and linolenic acids;
2. vitamins B1, B2, B6, E, PP;
3. trace elements: sodium, potassium, phosphorus, iron, manganese, zinc, and magnesium;
4. fiber, proteins;
pectin and tannins.
The powder does not contain harmful cholesterol and caffeine. The product has a positive effect on the digestive, nervous and cardiovascular systems. People who regularly consume carob note that the drink gives a slight boost of energy, but without overexcitation, as happens from coffee or cocoa. Therefore, the product is also acceptable for baby food, but from three years.
Interesting fact
One bean is equal to two-tenths of a gram or one carat. And this is not a coincidence: the fruits of the carob tree, indeed, for a long time served as a measure for ancient merchants for jewelry and stones.
Who Shouldn’t Eat Carob (Or Should Be Careful)
Allergy sufferers. Despite the benefits, the product is included in a group with a high risk of an allergic reaction. If you are prone to these symptoms, try carob products with caution.
Pregnant and lactating carob powder can be harmful for the same reason.
Children up to three years old.
People with diabetes – after consulting a specialist.
What to cook with carob
cocoa and carob although a novelty is no longer exotic for our stores. Supermarkets sell both ready-to-eat products such as nut and cereal bars, cookies, and candies, as well as powder for making sweets at home.
You can use the product in the same way as the more familiar cocoa or confectionery chocolate. Here are some ideas to apply:
