Carob powder

Poudre de caroube

What it is

Carob is a roasted legume pod with no kinship to cacao, and its flesh is already about half sugar before anything is added to it. The story goes that its seeds were so even in weight that they gave the jeweller's carat its name; weighing them shows them no steadier than any other seed.

In the kitchen

With almost no fat it will never temper or set - use it to colour and sweeten a batter, swapping it weight for weight with cocoa and cutting the recipe's sugar by about a quarter. It scorches easily, so add it to liquid off the heat.

Goes with

Date Orange Tahini Oats Cinnamon Almond

Same species

Locust bean gum

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