Can You Replace Chocolate With This?
If you’re thinking who in the whole wide world has the audacity to replace the sacred Cacao…
The answer is an ancient legume that grows on trees native to the Mediterranean and Middle-Eastern countries- Carob!
In recent times, carob powder has become a popular substitute for cacao powder for several reasons but can it truly be called a chocolate substitute- is the topic for today’s blog!
But before we give our final verdict, let's first understand its history and how it compares to cacao.
Where Did Carob Come From?
- The carob tree mainly grows in hot and dry climatic conditions. Portugal is currently leading the charts in carob production followed by Italy, Spain, Turkey, Morocco & Greece.
- The history of these trees can be traced back to the ancient civilizations of the Greeks and Romans who consumed these pods for food and medicinal purposes.
- It was during World War II when chocolate supplies were disrupted, carob powder became a popular substitute due to its similar taste and texture. This popularity continues to this day, especially among health-conscious consumers.
- The carob tree produces edible pods that are ground into a fine powder and used as a chocolate substitute.
How Does Carob Comapre To Cacao
- Appearance: Both carob and cacao are dark brown in color and have a similar texture.
- Flavour Profile: Carob has a mild flavor profile that tastes nutty and caramelly. Whereas, cacao has an intense and diverse flavor profile that tastes creamy, vanilla, fruity, bitter, caramel, and other flavors depending on the region it was grown in.
- Sweetness Level: Carob is naturally sweeter than cacao. Cacao on its own can in fact be quite bitter.
- Nutrition Profile: Carob is extremely low in fat whereas cacao is high in fat content. However, both are high in other micronutrients and minerals.
- Caffeine Content: Carob is absolutely caffeine free whereas cacao does have a moderate amount of caffeine.
- Processing: Producing carob powder is fairly straightforward. These are all the steps involved: Harvesting Carob Pods → Pod Opening → Drying Carob Pulp → Roasting Carob Pulp → Grinding Carob Pulp → Sifting Carob Powder
Whereas producing cacao is complex and challenging. These are all the steps involved:
Harvesting Cacao Pods → Fermenting Cacao Beans → Drying Cacao Beans → Roasting Cacao Beans → Winnowing Cacao Nibs → Grinding Cocoa Mass → Pressing Chocolate Liquor → Grinding Cocoa Solids → Sifting Cacao Powder
What’s Pascati’s Take On Carob?
While carob powder has been given the narrative of being used as a substitute for cacao by some and you’ll find numerous recipes online that use carob instead of cacao, it's important to make some clear distinctions and set the expectations right.
With cacao, you can get:
- Fruity notes of citrus, berry, and tropical
- Floral notes of rose, jasmine, and violet
- Earthy and nutty notes of almond, hazelnut, forest floor, cinnamon, and nutmeg clove
- Bitter and sweet notes of dark chocolate, caramel and vanilla
- Smoky, winey, and salty notes depending on the region it grew
And with carob, you get just a sweet caramel nutty flavor, which is okay if that’s what you’re looking for.
Cacao’s flavor profile as mentioned above is what will never make carob a true alternative to it and that’s our honest take. So, feel free to use Carob as you like but don’t be disappointed with the final results. That’s all we’re saying.
Keeping cacaoing or carobing…