A dark brown pod from the carob tree, often ground into powder and used as a chocolate substitute. The pods are naturally sweet and have been used as food and animal fodder for thousands of years.
From Old French carobe, which came from Arabic خَرُّوب (kharrūb), meaning 'locust bean' or 'carob pod'. The Arabic word may derive from Aramaic. The term entered English in the 16th century through French, as trade in Mediterranean products increased. The carob tree and its pods were well known in the ancient Middle East and Mediterranean region.
Carob pods were so consistently sized that ancient Arabic traders used them as standard weights for precious stones - that's where we get the word 'carat' for measuring diamonds! This humble chocolate substitute was literally the gold standard of ancient commerce, with each pod weighing almost exactly 200 milligrams.
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