A carob farmer kindly let me know about this European Forest Institute event "Carob Days".
They have a student rate, but as I'm not currently enrolled I have to pay the full whack if I want to attend...
https://efi.int/efimed-network-forum-2026/carob-days #Horticulture #Agriculture #Carob #PlantScience #Science #Spain
Carob syrup is sometimes called "carob molasses" in products exported from the Middle East.
When things like Google Images came on the scene, people just started grabbing images without factchecking (or licensing or giving credit). Here's a YouTube video about molasses, which is a byproduct of cane sugar production, which shows carob pods.
It goes on to talk about the Boston Molasses Flood, so it's certain this was not meant to be about #Carob
“Unlike #cocoa, #carob thrives in hot, arid climates with very low water requirements, and is able to survive through #droughts. After roasting, it releases a "unique aroma” that resembles cocoa – but its flavour doesn’t quite hit the spot.” www.euronews.com/green/2025/1...
Meet the scientists saving the...
"A research team developed two flavor-enhancing techniques that transform carob pulp into a delicious, sustainable alternative to cocoa.
Rising temperatures and the spread of crop diseases are placing increasing pressure on the global supply of cocoa. In response to these challenges, researchers at the National University of Singapore (NUS) began investigating ways to improve the flavor of carob, with the goal of positioning it as a more sustainable and attractive alternative to cocoa.
Carob pulp comes from Ceratonia siliqua (carob), a tough, climate-resilient plant that has drawn growing interest as a potential substitute for cocoa. When roasted, carob develops an aroma similar to cocoa, but its taste has not yet matched the richness consumers expect from chocolate. This flavor gap has been a key barrier to its broader use.
The research effort is led by Associate Professor Liu Shao Quan from the Department of Food Science and Technology (FST) at the NUS Faculty of Science. His team has introduced two new methods designed to significantly improve the taste profile of carob pulp."
https://scitechdaily.com/this-little-known-plant-could-help-save-chocolate-from-climate-change/
Gluten-Free Carob Brownie (Vegan)
https://wholesome-wonders.com/gluten-free-vegan-carob-brownie/
#SolarPunkSunday #Vegan #Food #Carob #LocustBean #Recipes #DIYGifts #GlutenFree
Before I go all in on vegan chocolate recipes, let's not forget carob.
https://carobrecipes.com/special-diets/vegan/
#SolarPunkSunday #Vegan #Food #Carob #LocustBean #Recipes #DIYGifts
I had a feeling they were going to go for the carob diss.
But truly, Lemon Peppermint Carob Chip wouldn't be any better a flavor if it were Lemon Peppermint Chocolate Chip, though...
Häagen-Dasz old Carob flavor was marvelous. And if you let me at making a Ben & Jerry's carob flavor, I guarantee you I can make a good one.
My cycle geekery paid off today as I was reading BikingInLA and found out there's a big road project happening where I did the most intense bit of my carob street tree study. Since trees are often cut down when such projects happen, I went digging into city council agendas to find what's planned. A little light reading...
How a Family Makes Traditional Carob Liqueur (RogaÄŤica) | Authentic Croatian Rakija
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kjGJkTLqpmI #Carob #Croatia #Food
Feb 2024 story.
Students on Croatian island producing carob syrup, jelly, cookies and other delights
https://www.croatiaweek.com/students-on-croatian-island-producing-carob-syrup-jelly-cookies-and-other-delights/ #Carob #Horticulture #Food
I didn't get to the carob festival circuit this year because I was tied up looking for a place to live. But this video features some of the booths at a carob festival in Cyprus.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7TB3e70XdB4 #Carob #Horticulture
Häagen-Dazs having a carob honey flavor was the yuppie side of the US "hippie health food" rise of carob in the '70s - early '80s. There were other products like this such as Gilbert Brockmeyer's carob milk and carob ice cream. You could buy these products in supermarkets, not just health food stores.
I wish I had graphics to post with this, but newspaper archives are all behind paywalls and enshittified websearch is making all the old newspaper ads for these hard to find.
I may get more scattershot with the #carob facts, not necessarily stringing all the related ones close to one another...
62. Häagen-Dazs used to make a carob honey flavored ice cream. (I wish they still did...it was delectable!) They were making it as late as the early '80s when I was slingin' ice cream in their busiest store location in the world.
61. Agar that comes from seaweed is used in lab media for, among other things, plant tissue culture. At various times, agar has grown more scarce/expensive due to conditions (including climate change-induced rise in temperature in the marine environment). LBG might actually be helpful in some of this lab media, which would take some of the pressure off agar.
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scienta.2005.03.003 #Carob #History #EconomicBotany #Botany #PlantScience #Horticulture
60. Currently and for some time now, there's been more money in producing carob seeds for locust bean gum (LBG) than in producing carob pulp for its own taste & sugars. Prior to the mid-20th c. another use of LBG (or as it was called then "Tragosol", a trade name) was as a sizing. Sizing something applied to bolts of fabric to keep them stiffer and freer of wrinkles before they're sewn into end-products.
#Carob #History #EconomicBotany #Botany #PlantScience #Horticulture
@brunogirin You're welcome!
You should be able to find some somewhere in Valencia, I'd think. https://www.inaturalist.org/observations?place_id=30032&taxon_id=82742 #Carob
I apologize that I'm still behind on carob facts. I am in short-term housing that has no desk indoors. I am using my suitcase as a "desk" and sitting on a stool and it is *murder* on my body, ergonomically-speaking.
It's a bit of work preparing the carob fact toots so when I'm in pain and exhausted, it's more difficult to do many. I do intend to catch up, though!
Thanks to those who've let me know they've enjoyed it and to those who've boosted some of the toots.
59. But the investment in equipment can require significant capital. Coit thought the lack of this equipment in California was part of the reason carob growing never took off there. https://www.hosokawa-alpine.com/powder-particle-processing/case-studies/carob-grinding-zps/ #Carob #Horticulture #Food #Chemistry
