Carob, the perfect cocoa substitute

The carob appears many times as chocolate substitutebut does it taste the same? is it from the same family? worth? I will try to answer the questions related to carob in the kitchen:

What is carob?

Carob are the seeds of the carob tree (ceratonia siliqua), which go inside dark brown pods when ripe. They are flat, rather large, about 10 cm.

From the carob we obtain the Carob flour and the locust bean gum, among other things. Cocoa, for its part, is the seed of another tree (Theobroma cacao), which grows inside large plump pods, similar to gourds but elongated. It is native to the Amazon basin, where local populations domesticated it more than 4,000 years ago.

The carob tree is native to the Mediterranean, in fact it is widely cultivated in the Valencian Community, the Balearic Islands and Catalonia, with a production of 60,000-80,000 tons per year, of which 70-80% is dedicated to the national market (the rest is exported). .

If we take sustainability and ecological footprint into account, carob is more interesting than cocoawhich grows only in tropical areas and has to be imported from countries like the Ivory Coast or Ecuador.

What does the carob taste like?

As it is sweet and stains the liquids and preparations in which we add it brown, it is usually used as cocoa substitute and sweetener.

Its flavor is not similar to cocoa, but mixed with other ingredients with which chocolate is usually combined, it is very similar.

Carob contains hardly any theobromine or caffeine, but it is rich in fiber, sugars, vitamins and minerals.

Besides, contains polyphenols that make up its characteristic flavor, for example hexanoic or caproic acid (fat aroma, somewhat reminiscent of cheese), pentatoic or valeric acid (found in valerian, not a very pleasant scent), cinnamaldehyde (smells of dates and cinnamon), phenylacetaldehyde (common in flowers and in chocolate), caffeic acid (present in coffee, but especially in argan oil), pyranones (in the already roasted seeds), etc.

In the case of cocoathe main aromas come from tetramethylpyrazine (found in cocoa and natto), benzaldehyde (with an almond smell), phenylacetaldehyde, acetophenone (also present in apples and bananas), isovaleric acid (with a slightly pungent aroma), etc.

The profile of aromas and flavors, in addition to other components, of course, of carob and cocoa share few compounds, which is why they do not taste the same.

How can it be used

You can use carob flour almost the same as you would use cocoa powder or gluten-free flours., or as one more ingredient, without necessarily being a substitute for cocoa. In the composition of the carob gums are found in good quantity; hence it is used for the production of food gums, cellulose and hemicellulose.

So when we add it to masses, for example of biscuits or biscuits, increases their viscosity and they are more sticky and elastic. In the case of cupcakes and cupcakesit is advisable to add a little more liquid if we use carob, so that later they are more tender (approx. 1 tablespoon of extra liquid for each teaspoon of carob flour).

In small size cookies and baked treats, can be used in part to replace the egg, due to the viscosity it gives to the dough. 1 teaspoon of carob flour can be used together with 1 teaspoon of corn starch and 4 tablespoons of soy drink, all mixed together, to replace the egg.

In biscuits, tarts and similar the effect is not so pronounced as to consider that it has exactly the same function of the egg, but It is an ingredient that helps make the dough elastic and fluffy. (be careful, if our dough does not contain enough liquid it can be too compact). you can put carob powder when you mount vegetable cream or in your frostings, for more color and flavor.

Depending on the amount you use, it will be more or less dark, with a slightly truffled flavor. Carob flour can be used together with wheat semolina or other flours to make pasta. Change a quantity of flour that you use for carob flour and you will get a brownish paste with more flavor. It won’t be sweet.

For a better result, do not add a lot of carob flour (5% of the total flour or semolina is fine).

You can also make spreadable carob cream, which you will surely have seen in herbalists and health food stores. For a much more chocolate-like taste, you can use scents and flavors often associated with chocolate, such as vanilla and cinnamon. As fats, coconut oil or cocoa butter (it does not contain caffeine and tastes like chocolate), and hazelnuts always well crushed until a paste or cream is formed, so that there are no pieces.

Carob as a sweetener

Carob flour is low in fat, rich in fiber and very rich in sugars. (fructose, glucose and sucrose), which make up 50% of its weight. It’s like dates, for example, but dry, so it’s easier to use. You just have to dissolve it in the mixture that we are preparing, just as we do with cocoa powder.

Using carob we can replace sugar in preparations such as cookies, biscuits, milkshakes, etc., which, in addition to sweets, will remain the same color as cocoa powder.

They also sell carob syrup as sweetener. It usually only contains carob beans and water, so it’s similar to making a date syrup and use it to sweeten pancakes, biscuits, cookies, etc.

It must be taken into account, in any case, that adding carob to a homemade (or commercial) dessert or sweet does not make it a basic and healthy food, it is still consumed sporadically.