Carob:  Drumsticks in Carob Syrup

December 14, 2009

Today, carob is most often thought of as a substitute for chocolate. Mixed with fats like butter or palm kernel oil, the chocolate-like candy contains much of the flavor but none of the unhealthy substances found in cocoa. Carob powder was the most important source of sweetener in many parts of the world before sugarcane and sugar beets. It is loaded with vitamins, minerals, and dietary fiber and is perfect for those allergic to chocolate. The thick liquid in the pod, called locust bean gum, is harvested as a thickening agent for many foods and used medicinally to soothe a sick stomach or treat diarrhea. Because it survives on little water, it has historically been one of the only food sources available during times of drought-induced famine.

Though native to the eastern Mediterranean, today, it grows on nearly every continent. The ancient world is rife with references to the plant. It was widely used as a sweetener and a medicine in Egypt, to such an extent that the hieroglyph for “sweet” was the carob pod. Some scholars believe that carob is among the “best fruits of the land” mentioned in Genesis 43:11 and that John the Baptist probably didn’t subsist on locusts, but on locust fruit. In some parts of the world, it is actually called St. John’s bread!

In Luke 15, the prodigal son longs to eat the pods that he fed the swine—a clear reference to the use of carob as animal food during famine. The Talmud (rabbinic commentary) tells us that Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai and his son hid themselves from the Romans for 13 years, subsisting only on the fruit of a carob tree that the Lord planted at the entrance to their hiding place. Even the jewelry industry has benefited from it: the ancient practice of weighing gold and gemstones against the seeds of the carob tree eventually gave way to the standardized system of the carat weight.

But the loveliest of the carob stories is found in the Babylonian Talmud: While the sage, Choni, was walking along a road, he saw a man planting a carob tree. Choni asked him, “How long will it take for this tree to bear fruit?” “Seventy years,” replied the man. Choni then asked, “Are you so healthy that you expect to live that long and eat its fruit?” The man answered, “I found a fruitful world because my ancestors planted it for me. Likewise, I am planting for my children.”

Drumsticks in Carob Syrup

1 tsp coriander seeds, crushed coarsely

2 sprigs rosemary, chopped coarsely

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

 

Make 2–3 incisions on each drumstick and insert half a clove of garlic into each. Mix the marinade ingredients, pour over the chicken and let it marinate in the refrigerator for a minimum of 6 hours. Preheat the oven to 200˚ C (400˚ F). Arrange the drumsticks on a rack and roast for 30–40 minutes until golden brown and juices run clear when the meat is pierced with a fork. Serves 4–6.

(Recipe from The Book of New Israeli Food by Janna Gur, page 142)

By Rev. Cheryl Hauer, International Development Director

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