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Carob [Ceratonia siliqua]

The seeds of the Carob pod, sometimes called St. Johns bread, have been used since the era of John the Baptist to treat intestinal distress, high cholesterol, and the common cough.

The pulp, both highly nutritious and mildly chocolatey, is commonly found as an alternative herbal sweetener. In the ancient Middle East, the seeds of the Carob ( kharrūb or locust bean pod) were used to measure the weight and worth of precious metals and stones.

24 Carob beans were the exact weight of a pure gold Roman solidus coin. Such this became known throughout Europe as a ‘karat’ and ‘24 karats’ became known to signify pure gold. That has stuck even today as the contemporary classification for all precious metals and gemstones.

File:Old Carob in Yagur.jpg

Old Carob in Yagur

 

File:Carob-bean, or Saint John's Bread, illustration from The Encyclopedia of Food by Artemas Ward.jpg

Carob-bean, or Saint John's Bread, illustration from The Encyclopedia of Food by Artemas Ward