Carob (Ceratonia siliqua) is an evergreen tree native to the Mediterranean basin that produces long, dark-brown seed pods. The pods have a naturally sweet, mildly chocolatey flavour and have been eaten in the region for thousands of years. Both the pulp and the seeds are commercially useful.
Carob pulp is dried and ground into a powder used as a cocoa substitute in confectionery, baking, and beverages. It’s naturally sweet and contains no caffeine or theobromine, making it a common alternative for people avoiding chocolate. Carob bean gum (locust bean gum), extracted from the seeds, is a widely used food thickener and stabiliser found in products from ice cream to pet food.
The tree has cultural and economic significance across the Mediterranean. The word “carat” — the unit of weight for gemstones — derives from the remarkably uniform weight of carob seeds, which ancient traders used as balance weights.
How it's produced
Carob trees are slow-growing and long-lived, often productive for over a century. They thrive in dry, rocky Mediterranean climates with hot summers and mild winters, requiring very little water once established. Trees are either grown from seed or grafted, with grafted trees preferred for commercial production because carob is dioecious — male and female flowers grow on separate trees, and only females produce pods.
Pods are harvested in autumn when they turn dark brown and dry on the tree. Harvesting is traditionally done by knocking pods from the tree with long poles and collecting them from the ground. The pods are then kibbled (broken into pieces), and the seeds are separated from the pulp. Pulp is roasted and ground for carob powder, while seeds go through further processing to extract locust bean gum. Major producing countries include Spain, Italy, Portugal, Morocco, and Turkey.
What it costs the planet (per kilo)
≈ Estimated from its category — typical for legumes & pulses, not measured for this item yet. Sources & methods →
What comes from this
Your household's take
One thumb per person, shared with your household — it steers what the wider-web shelf and the swap chips offer you. Tap again to take it back.
✎ Spotted something wrong? Suggest a correction
Checking who you are...