Carob
The Algarroba is the fruit of the carob, name common to various tree species, common both to nearby areas of the Mediterranean in Europe (species of the genus Ceratonia, such as the Ceratonia Siliqua ), as to regions of South America (species of the genus prosopis, such as Prosopis Alba).
The name is of Persian origin (literally means jaw of donkey ) and Ceratonia Siliqua is originally from Southwestern Asia, from where it has spread throughout the eastern Mediterranean.
The fruit is a dark brown coriacea sheath, 5 to 8 cm in length, which in the white carob contains a gumous pulp. This pod contains the seeds, similar to a large lentil.
The Mediterranean Algarrobo, Ceratonia Siliqua produces some pods between 10 and 15 cm long, compressed, indehiscent, green when they have not reached maturity, and brown when they are mature, That is, at the end of summer. In a state of maturity, the sheath has a very pleasant sweet taste, and it is obtained from it when the carob is ground without seed, with multiple applications in human food and as a composition of feed for animals.
The seeds maintain their germinative power, duly stored, up to 10 years and have the peculiarity of maintaining their properties even after having suffered a fire. Its germination is dilated over time due to its impermeability, which even increases more and more as they age. To induce the germination of these seeds we must apply techniques such as soaking.
The carob in diet
The carob has many applications in food, both animal and human. Therefore, it was widely used as a food complement in periods of scarcity (during the Spanish Civil War). It is currently used as fodder and in the pharmaceutical industry.
Algarroba seeds are very rich in mucilages and have the power to exert a favorable action against inflammations of the mucous membranes, reducing irritation, both in respiratory and digestive pathways, and acting properly against diarrhea. They also reduce bruise pain.
It is an energetic food, with a high sugar content, 50% natural sugar, 10% protein, as well as minerals such as calcium, iron and phosphorus.
Recently, carob has been recognized as a "natural food" and is often used ground as a substitute for chocolate and cocoa
The Bosque de Pómac Historic Sanctuary, located in the province of Ferreñafe, department of Lambayeque, is one of the four areas categorized as historic sanctuaries in Peru. The objective of categorizing the Pómac Forest as a historical sanctuary is to contribute to the conservation of the most representative area of the equatorial dry forest ecoregion, in its typical carob tree plant formation. Algarrobina honey is produced in northern Peru based on the carob tree and is widely used in confectionery and cocktails.
In Argentina, a drink called aloja is prepared with Prosopis pallida, the white carob, obtained from the fermentation of carob pods. The white carob is used in the preparation of patay, the bread of the natives of northwestern Argentina; on the other hand, it is used to make flour, lodging and añapa. It is also often used for making craft beers. In countries like Morocco, black carob is used as an ingredient to make chocolate, mixed with cocoa and butter.
Production
| Main producers of algarroba (2012) (tonnes) | |
|---|---|
Spain Spain | 40.000 |
Italy Italy | 30.841 |
 Portugal | 23,000 |
Greece Greece | 22,000 |
Morocco Morocco | 20.500 |
Turkey Turkey | 14.218 |
Cyprus Cyprus | 5.186 |
Algeria Algeria | 3.136 |
Lebanon Lebanon | 2.300 |
| Source: UN: The Statistics Division Archived on March 5, 2016 at Wayback Machine. | |
Considered a "superfood", carob is produced in Spain (Andalusia, the Balearic Islands, Catalonia, the Valencian Community), Peru, southern Italy, Morocco, Portugal, Algeria, Turkey, Tunisia, Israel and Argentina.