A tannic extract obtained from carob pods, historically used in tanning leather and dyeing textiles.
Spanish diminutive form of algarroba (carob), with the suffix '-illa' indicating a smaller or derivative form. The term refers specifically to the tannin-rich byproduct of carob processing.
Medieval leather workers discovered that carob pods contain powerful tannins—the same compounds that make red wine taste dry—which could turn animal hides into durable leather without modern chemistry!
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