Carob Ceratonia siliqua


Ceratonia siliqua
carob pods with leaves
  • Common Names
  • Carob , Locust Bean, St.John's-Bread
  • Botanical Name
  • Ceratonia siliqua
  • Family
  • FABACEAE

Medicinal Uses & Benefits of Carob

remedyHow to Use| Side Effects | Plant & Garden|

How to Use: Carob


Carob is a healthy substitute for chocolate that is lower in calories. Roasted carob is naturally sweeter, (or not as bitter), as unsweetened chocolate, so it can be made palatable with less added sugar in recipes. Carob has a number of advantages over chocolate: it is hypoallergenic, and hypoglycemic. 1 The true trick to enjoying carob is to not expect it to taste exactly like chocolate,(and be forever disappointed), but to learn to appreciate carob for its own unique taste.

Preparation Methods & Dosage : Carob powder and extracts can be substituted in place of cocoa in many recipes. Carob also makes a great tasting tea, alone or as a component of tea blends.

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Carob Remedies


Carob Side Effects: None noted

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Plant Description


  • Fruit/Seeds:Small, numerous flowers, in catkin-like racemes. The fruit is an elongated pod, Carob consumed by humans is actually the dried (and sometimes roasted) pod, and not the 'nuts' or seeds.
  • Plant Class:Dioecious (having separate male and female plants, flowering evergreen shrub or tree growing up to 30 ft tall.
  • Leaves:4 to 8 inches long, pinnate leaves, broad-semi-spherical crown.
  • Preferred Habitat:Drought resistant
  • Flowering Season:Sept-October
  • Distribution: native to the Mediterrianian, carob has been naturalized in the West including Florida and California.