Does carob taste like cocoa??

[Missrawdiva]

Does carob taste like cocoa? The big reason I want to know this is because I just got two bags off the net of raw carob powder. I have not even opened the box. I love RP's brownies.. and I have a big batch of dates.. and was wondering if I put carob powder in, instead of the cocoa will it taste the same?? I am not trying to waste my dates on a recipe that might now work. I couldn't imagine anything tasting better than raw cocoa brownies. I have read about all the great benefits of cocoa, but are there any in raw carob?

[Veganforlife]

Oh, I've used carob instead of the cacao. It's fine. I think it has a different taste. Still chocolatey. I think one big benefit of carob is no caffeine.

[Veganforlife]

Got this off the web:

Benefits of Carob
By Patricia B. Mitchell

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I love chocolate; I use carob. Carob, also known as St. John's bread, algarroba, locust bean, and locust pod, is a healthful substitute for chocolate. The slightly sweet powder is relatively low in calories, and it is thought to be a good source of potassium.

Carob does not contain cholesterol, caffeine, theobromine, and oxalic acid, as chocolate does. Its natural sweetness also reduces the need for big doses of additional calorie-laden sweeteners, as are found in most products made from naturally-bitter chocolate.

Low-fat, low-sodium, high-fiber, calcium-rich carob is made from the pods of carob trees (Ceratonia siliqua). There are hundreds of varieties of these trees (the locust) growing all over the world, including the United States, but the evergreen leguminous type on the shores of the Mediterranean Sea produces the most flavorful product and provides the commercial "fake cocoa" we call carob.

The pods of these trees are harvested and then the pulp of the seedcases is broken into pieces called "kibbles." The kibbles are roasted and finely ground.

Scholars surmise that the husks which the Prodigal Son in the Bible fed the swine were actually carob pods. The scriptural account might have taken a different turn if the errant lad had smashed the pods, creating "kibbles and bits!"

[Veganforlife]

This link is pretty cool - with pictures too!
http://sres-associated.anu.edu.au/fpt/nwfp/carob/carob.html

[Bechtel]

Thanks Veganforlife.
I did not knew anything about carob. Where do you get raw or at least pure carob in powder form. Grocery stores? I drink cocoa, but have to add sweetener.
Thanks in advance.

[Zuzu]

YES...and NO.... I like it, well I like them both!

[Sharon in Colorado]

I like the taste of carob, but it does not taste like chocolate to me.

[sbaker]

ive tried a bunch..but i REALLY dont like carob!

[RawTruth]

Carob - a pod used for decades among health food-type people as a chocolate substitute. Buy it raw. Most average health food stores do NOT carry it. If you're not in an urban center, you'll need to order it online.

If you're expecting it to taste just like chocolate, you'll be very disappointed. However, it is healthy and does a decent job of filling in for chocolate in recipes. Remember, chocolate is usually mixed with milk, sugar, chemicals, transfats ... yuck! That's why substitutes were desirable.

Alissa's recipes always call for carob and never for cacao.

Cacao - raw (debateable, still) chocolate. No sugar, milk, bad fats, etc. Tastes like bitter, dark chocolate. Oh, wait - it IS bitter dark chocolate. You can now buy it as beans (with or without skins), nibs (the bits that make up the beans), or powder (very new).

Cocoa - processed, cooked chocolate powder. NOT raw.

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I don't recall RP's recipes containing cocoa. ???

[Missrawdiva]

The recipe I got online I "thought" but could be mistaken were rps brownies? Maybe not.. the recipe was dates, raw walnuts and raw cocao powder.
I eat those every single day.
I did manage to make from the RAWvultion recipe book Matts Coconut-Carob Haystacks.. and they tasted great!

[Sharon in Colorado]

I found out that cacao and cocoa is really the same name, it just got it's name changed by the manufacturer to make it sound fancy. That they changed it to cocoa after all the processing and/or sugar and stuff was added.

So raw cocoa and raw cacao is essentially the same thing. Dagoba does this - calls ALL of their non-chocolate products cacao (powders).

[Crazy Healer Lady]

I love carob ^_^ I haven't tasted chocolate in over a year - and then I tasted carob - so I can't compare it to chocolate.... But it is delicious! When made into almond carob balls or something of the like, you can't tell the difference, or my friends & family can't. When tasted alone, you can

Where I am, you can find carob anywhere! Superstore even carries it ^_^ and all the healthfood stores. Save-On-Foods also carries raw carob, but it is expensive!!!

[trinity082482]

No carob tastes NOTHING like cocoa. I used to have some and I gave it to my friend. Its not good for chocolate. It tastes more like spiced chili peppers. :(

[rawwannabe]

No. Not at all. I much prefer cocoa.

[Gwena]

I have raw cacao a couple times a week in various forms, and I'm here to say it tastes nothing like carob. However, in a strange sort of way, when used in recipes it has the illusion of tasting like chocolate. Eat one then the other and you'll notice they don't taste the same. Eat them separately, and you may be fooled. I can always tell the difference though.

Wanted to make a little comment about the "caffeine" in cacao. It isn't so much the scant amount of caffeine that gives you the "high", but the Theobromine. Theobromine is a substance the cacao pod produces to insure the beans don't get full of fungus. Just an FYI. :D