Carob Frosting

By: Sharon123
Apr 23, 2008

This works well on cake or brownies. Recipe adapted from Christopher Nyerges, the author of Guide to Wild Foods. A little information about carob: Today it is nearly impossible to avoid white sugar in any pre-processed or restaurant food. But not more than a few centuries ago, one of the major food sweeteners in the world was a type of healthful "chocolate" that grows on trees. It is believed that the fruit of this "chocolate" tree was used to feed Mohammed's armies. This fruit also sustained John the Baptist during his sojourn and meditations in the wilderness (Bible, book of Mark 1:16), and provided food for the Biblical prodigal son (Luke 15:16) who was hungry and without money. Spanish Civil War children who ate this fruit during the 1930s were able to remain free of malnutrition. As recently as WWII, isolated military troops and their horses on the island of Malta, and people in villages in Greece, credit their survival during the German occupation to the use of this "chocolate" tree's survival food. This "chocolate" tree is the carob tree (Ceratonia siliqua). The carob fruit is a dark brown, flattened leathery pod (or legume). Carob is a native to the countries surrounding the Mediterranean Sea, and is common in the Middle East. These are the areas where the best commercial carob is grown. The trees propagated there from root stock produce the superior carob fruit. Southern Californians and Arizonans know the ornamental carob trees which are so widely planted as street and park trees. Each leaf is alternately arranged and is typically pinnately divided into six to ten round glossy leathery leaflets. Each pod measures about 1½inches broad and four to 10 inches long. Carob powder (or flour) is produced by a continuous process of drying, grinding, and roasting the pods. The resultant flour has a versatile array of uses for those who have rediscovered carob's secrets.