The New Chocolate: CAROB

It looked and tasted somewhat like chocolate but of course, cocoa, when roasted, tasted more flavourful than anything else. Carob itself is naturally sweet and has this mild chocolatey taste. Hence, there isn’t a need to add any sugar or sweetener to it unlike if you use cocoa is bitter in taste.

I didn’t quite appreciate the taste of carob in the past but now I do after trying The Australian Carob Co.’s carob products which is distributed by Forever Young Enterprise (S) Pte Ltd. Their quality of carob is so much better than the other brands of carob powder which I’ve tasted. It is sweeter and has a milder bitter-after taste. I am particularly in love with carob kibbles which tasted better than cocoa nibs in my opinion. They come in bigger chunks which are a little crunchier than cocoa nibs and it can be used in place of chocolate chips in recipes. 

Benefits of carob

– contain tannins that are riched in gallic acid
– rich in insoluble fibre
– good source of vitamin E
– contain Thiamin (vitamin B), Riboflavin (vitamin B2), Niacin (vitamin A), alpha-tocopherol and ergocalciferol (vitamin D2)

– enriched with antioxidants and phytonutrients
– high in potassium, magnesium and calcium
– caffeine free

I was given the following products by The Australian Carob Co. to try :

This company practises sustainable farming methods and use no pesticides or insecticides on the carob trees. All products are nut-free, gluten-free, certified non-GMO and halal certified.

1. Pure Carob syrup

This syrup can be used in place of honey or maple syrup. It is quite thick and viscous. And it can also be used as a sweetener in hot or cold beverages.

2. Pure Carob powder roasted

 I like the fact that the powder is exceptionally fine which is highly suitable for baking. Carob powder can be used to make carob cookies, cakes and muffins. Because of their natural sweetness, you can actually reduce the amount of sweetener used.

3. Pure ovenbaked Caron Kibble

It comes in large chunks that is packed with that sweet carob flavour. You can actually eat it like chips but my favourite way of enjoying it is to sprinkle it over my oatmeal porridge as a topping.