Carob ... So this is a superfood for me.

I mixed a nice cup of hot carob powder with a some almond milk and water, sweetened it with stevia, mixed in some cinnamon and not only was it very tasty but Ill be darned if it didn't clear my sinuses wow... WTH.... how does that work ..... I love it!

great stuff in carob.....look up the components....

some of its benefits are stated here
http://www.4yourtype.com/prodinfo.asp?number=NP063

helps our gut among other actions

you heal the gut, you heal most things bothering you....that s a fact

I do keep saying that I just LOVE carob!!

great thread.

I hadn't realized that carob is so healthy. It's a diamond for me.  

I notice the Carob extract Dr D sells has dutch cocoa powder in it. Chocolate is a temporary avoid for me.  

Can't help but wonder if there is any dif in Cocoa powder and Chocolate? Just terms? or maybe processing?  Not a big deal really - just wondering.  

purlgirl....

FYI

What is the difference between chocolate and cocoa?
Cacao trees
Cocoa is the fruit of the cacao tree. There are around fifteen different types, including the Criello, the Forastero and the Trinidario. Six tropical countries account for almost 80% of world production: Ivory Coast, Ghana, Brazil, Malaysia, Cameroon and Nigeria. The cacao tree produces large fruits, pods, containing the cocoa beans. Machetes are used to harvest the pods in November.

Chocolate contains a minimum of 35% cocoa components.

Processing of the beans
The pods are broken open and the beans are fermented for three to four hours before being left to dry in the sun for three weeks. This is the time the cocoa beans develop their typical taste. The beans are then shipped to Belgium, where they are processed in various ways. After cleaning the beans are roasted and skinned. The kernels are ground, which releases the cocoa mass (mixture of cocoa powder and cocoa butter). Then the different ingredients (cocoa mass, sugar, cocoa butter, milk powder, soya lecithin) needed to obtain the type of chocolate are put in the mixer (conching) to produce what is known as couverture chocolate.

Manufacturers
In Belgium there are two major couverture chocolate manufacturers supplying the various markets (ice-cream makers, chocolate makers, confectioners). These are Barry-Callebaut, which has the largest production plant in the world, and Belcolade, which is part of the Puratos group. Also deserving of a mention is Côte d'or, which turns cocoa into chocolate only for its own needs.

Chocolate varieties
The taste of the chocolate depends on the mixture of cocoa beans from different sources, each of which have their own qualities. There are more than 500 kinds of couverture chocolate, forming three main families: dark chocolate, milk chocolate and white chocolate.

cmoore,  how much carob powder do you use? Lin

Chloe   - thanks for the very interesting article  

Love it too!  Try it with honey and almond milk like a hot cocoa.  Even nicer replace honey with a teaspoon of molasses.  Kazaaam!

Carob is so sweet on its own, I often find I don't need to add any sweeteners at all. Chocolate is naturally more bitter, so I usually have that with blackstrap molasses. I'm not allowed stevia or honey, though I do use agave sometimes.

Thanks for this thread. I have now mastered making a carob/almond milk and agave hot drink, it's very good and fills that need that hot chocolate used to fill!

I make a carob slice for my man, and he snacks on it every second day, as he needs to gain weight.
I invented a recipe which I can post if anyone needs it.
Also, when we were travelling a couple of years ago we found mature carob trees in a park in Central New South Wales, (Aust). and I've just germinated half a dozen of the seeds, hoping they will survive in my cold climate. They have leaves quite similar to avocados which I also germinate for decorative use in pots (plant half a dozen in one pot). If I find that the carobs won't survive in the winter here, I will also put them all in one decorative pot, and have a pretty 'shrub' for my covered verandah.

Carob is a diamond for me.  It is less likely to keep me up at night compared to cocoa.  But I find cocoa tastes better.  Has anyone tried a hot carob drink without the almond milk?  

Quoted from Jenny

I make a carob slice for my man, and he snacks on it every second day, as he needs to gain weight.
I invented a recipe which I can post if anyone needs it.
Also, when we were travelling a couple of years ago we found mature carob trees in a park in Central New South Wales, (Aust). and I've just germinated half a dozen of the seeds, hoping they will survive in my cold climate. They have leaves quite similar to avocados which I also germinate for decorative use in pots (plant half a dozen in one pot). If I find that the carobs won't survive in the winter here, I will also put them all in one decorative pot, and have a pretty 'shrub' for my covered verandah.

Jenny, I'd like that slice recipe if you have time to post it please! Carob is a diamond for me and I have nearly a kilo of organic carob powder at home.

Thanks in advance!

Andy

Yes Jenny - please share    
It's a diamond for me as well, and I've been tinkering with it but can't figure out what I'm lacking to make it truly appealing.
I remember realling loving it when Trader Joe's sold carob bars years ago. Of course they would be out of the question now - with all that sugar and whatnot...

Here goes.......this was created essentially for an O type, but is pretty adaptable and useable by others.
Prepare a very large loaf pan with two layers of bake paper to make sure that all sides are protected.
Plan to heat oven to 150 degrees,
  
4 cups frozen red or black currants, or other tinned fruit as appropriate to taste and type
4 cups of carob powder (that's two packets the way I purchase them)
1 cup each millet and rice flours
good oil, 2 tablespoons
agave syrup  half a cup
water 2 cups
4 eggs
pinch salt

Mix all together, being careful not to add the eggs to the frozen fruit in the first instance as they will curdle.

Cover pan with a tight layer of alfoil and cook for 2 hours in middle of oven,  then leave to cool down with heat turned off for another 2 or 3 hours. When totally cool, invert and slice for future use. I pack them in plastic containers, and they last in the fridge for several weeks.Best not to slice whilst still warm as it can break easily. If you prefer to cook in two smaller cake pans, you can reduce the cooking time to 1 and a half hours, but it is best to rotate the pans half way.

Thanks Jenny! A great idea!!! Sounds so lovely.  

Thanks Jenny, sounds lovley - I can't wait to give it a go!

Andy

Thanks Jenny - I'll have to give it a try  

Added to the recipe database here:
http://www.dadamo.com/typebase4/recipedepictor7x.cgi?1435

thanks for doing that ABJoe, what a buzz..I had no idea it was such  a universal dish as I specifically created it for one very idiosyncratic individual.
ps 150 degrees is medium to lowish heat.. depends what system you are on, faranheit or celcius.

Quoted from Jenny

ps 150 degrees is medium to lowish heat.. depends what system you are on, faranheit or celcius.

Were you saying 150C - if so, it should be about 300F - about where breads are baked.

According to Dr. D, carob helps with nervous exhaustion. Tastes good too.

Quoted from Munchkin76

Thanks Jenny, sounds lovley - I can't wait to give it a go!

Andy

I agree!   Been wondering how to incorporate my diamond carob as well.

Quoted from ABJoe

Were you saying 150C - if so, it should be about 300F - about where breads are baked.

Apologies for my confusing information...yes, we work in Celsius in this part of the globe

Jenny  the recipe sounds wonderful.

I don't have Agave -   do you think 1/2 cup honey would work ? (do I need to inc or decrease amt?)
Also no Millet flour.   I do have Quinoa, Sorghum & Teff  - would one of these work?

I could get Agave & Millet but they are neutral - it would be nice to use all diamond/bennies

Mark -- "According to Dr. D, carob helps with nervous exhaustion..."   Good to hear that.

purlgirl, just try out your modifications...I have been re-jigging this combination for about 2 years on a monthly basis, and lots of changes have occurred along the way. Maybe many more will occur as people like you try it out. Good idea about perfecting it for other types...I'll  look forward to seeing your A type modification, so please post.

I am going to try carob one of these days.. I did not like it before but possibly with the above recepy I might get to like it.. thanks.. It's Diamond for me.. Choc is only neutral.

and it helps with fatigue1 nice..

I just happened to have everything in the house yesterday, so I made a loaf and had a slice for brekky this morning. It was very good
If I tweak it just a little, I can create at least one geno-harmonic combination
Thanks Jenny

Jenny, where do you find carob powder?

I always liked Carob but the australian market just got most of it off our shelves!!!! Supermarkets only stock few items in the health section and health shops stock some items but they are mixed with other nasty products or ingredients that we may be allergic to. I am allergic to chocolate, including cocoa butter et...caused me to go to hospital they could do nothing for me!!! so cocoa is great in my opinion if it is pure.....like in powder form- I've made cookies- I find that one tablespoon is enough for a cookie batch as it is quite strong.....and I use rice malt to sweeten them more if I want.

I sometimes make a smoothie with almond milk, wild blueberries, and carob powder.  I think it's helped my digestive tract.

carob powder should be sold in health shops- but I assume the US would stock it more in more stores

Quoted from Spunky

Where do you find carob powder?

Here is one site in Australia - cocoa and carob on the same page so look closely:
http://www.organicsaustraliaonline.com.au/category24_1.htm

ChrissyA, what is your geno harmonic combination that you referred to above?

Quoted from Spunky

Jenny, where do you find carob powder?

All of the health food shops in Canberra carry it...probably all over Oz the same.

Hi Jenny -  I used blueberries and brown rice flour, that's one GHC for me. And if I substitute blackstrap molasses for some of the agave as the sweetener, that creates another GHC with the blueberries. If I throw in some flax seeds, and use ghee as the oil, that makes another!  

Thanks ChrissyA, I'll have a look at my GHC to see if I have similar suggestions.