Carob

Carob is a flowering evergreen tree or shrub in the Caesalpinioideae subfamily of the legume family Fabaceae, growing up to 15 meters tall with a broad, semispherical crown and producing edible seed pods; it originates from the Mediterranean region and the Middle East, with Spain the leading global producer followed by Italy and Morocco. The pulp of its pods can be processed into a powder or chips used as a chocolate alternative, while the seeds are used to produce locust bean gum, or carob gum, a common food-processing thickening agent; the pods are roughly one third to one half sugar by dry weight, making them suitable for baked goods and beverages, and carob is also made into syrups and drinks across Mediterranean cultures, particularly in Malta, Cyprus, Egypt and the Levant, where it holds cultural importance, especially during Ramadan.