Carob vs. cacao powder...

[MelonManiac]

I know cacao is made from chocolate beans and carobs a plant but does carob actually taste like chocolate?

Sorry, I've tried searching but all that comes up are recipes (not that that's a bad thing) :cool:

[barose]

I prefer cacao myself. I'm not a huge fan of carob. I just sub in a recipe that calls for carob.

[eat~to~live]

Carob doesn't really taste like chocolate to me. It's an aquired taste to many. I like it when I'm eating healthy and my sister who loves milk chocolate dislikes carob. It's just different ut it's sweet and has the same texture as chocolate.
Hope this helps, go get some carob chips from the bulk bin, if they are raw, and try some.
~Nicole

[Random Violin Guy]

I think it definitely tastes similar, but it's not exactly the same. I like it. Oh, and I agree- go out and try some for yourself.

Enjoy!

[MelonManiac]

Thanks all three of you for your opinions! I would try some but I don't know what a bulk bin is :-X and I have only found the powder in Whole foods ... Although I didn't look for the carob chips so I will next time I go to a HFS.

[elfinbaby]

I have tried and tried to make myself and my kids like carob- it's ain't gonna happen. I take eat it but - as a chocoholic - I prefer cacao. Carob is awful but it's not a chocolate replacement imo.

April

[flinzz78]

I love carob, I do not know what the cocao taste's like. I just ordered it, so I will find out soon. I'm not a chocolate fan, so I'm not trying to get something that taste's exactly like it.

[aililiu]

I LOVE CAROB! mmmmmmmmmm! and its super healthy and has no caffeine, which i like. ill have raw cacao treats when im out but i wont buy it. mmm carob. make sure its not roasted, it usually is.

[MelonManiac]

flinzz78- I love chocolate! It is the thing that has kept me from going 100% raw for more than a few days :-X ...

aililiu- I like the fact that it has no caffeine too, because my body doesn't respond well to it. I looked in whole foods and only found roasted carob powder so I didn't get it :)

[aililiu]

its really hard to find in stores. :( is there somewhere you could order it online for a decent price?

[the_lab_rat]

Totally useless comment: This thread is making me hungry because I love both carob and cacao :D Oh man. I feel a midnight snack coming on...

[bodaflower]

i know i'm a little late on this thread, but here's my two cents:

no, carob and cacao powder don't taste alike...cacao is definitely better for you! if you had to choose, i'd go with cacao, even though i think a banana carob smoothie with a little maca..maybe some almond butter..is pretty much the best thing ever (oh, and cherries..or strawberries...or blueberries)

[aililiu]

mmmm bodaflower....... that sounds sooo good.
i love maca :D

[Eva]

Hey there, I keep carob and cacao around. When I'm really jonesing for a little BOOM of chocolate, I have a spoon of the cacao with some agave on top. The carob is so powdery that it only tastes chocolaty in recipes mixed with other stuff. I got 2 lbs from Alissa's store (of carob) for $10. I got my coconut butter from there too. I was very happy with my purchase.

I purchase the cacao pieces from my HFS because they sell it cheaper than any of the places I've found online.

Happy "desserting" guys! Gotta love the sweet stuff!

[timfksd]

i love carob! the no-caffeine aspect of it was good for me when i was starting out...now i totally am into the more subtle taste of it...
i have it with some frozen bananas, water, small amount of tahini, and some carob....mix in blender and it's like an ice cream shake..delicious.
i get it at Nature's First Law...

[bodaflower]

try adding the berries i mentioned to your smoothie (which sounds a lot like mine)


and especially, banana and apple juice is really, really delicious ( as a smoothie) and you can add on to it whatever you like

[nolawaffle]

okay y'all i am a COMPLETE chocoholic so this topic is like gold to me! My roommate is a manager at WFM (Whole-Foods-Market), which is nice because I get discounts on this... they have this small bag of cacao nibs for $9.99 and then a bag (normal choc-chip size bag) of carob chips for like 4 bucks.. I bought both.. PLUS I bought some carob powder to make "hot cocoa" (hot carob?) lol.. I made some fantastic "ice cream" with the carob chips but you can't even fake it as chocolate - it's a completely different taste altogether. I wish the cacao nibs weren't so expensive, but alas - at least it curbs my chocoholism. The carob powder makes a nice cocoa/tea thing, but again - tastes nothing at all like chocolate.. I'm looking for some more recipes because I have TONS of the powder AND chips left :) Anyway... just wanted to say that IMO, carob and chocolate shouldn't even be in the same category (although carob is an acquired taste.. and I do find it quite yummy!) :)

[Smileen]

http://www.rawfoods.com/articles/rawcarob.html

[Stina]

Just like to say that I mix raw cocoa and carob together for treats and I'm one happy camper. Well, in general. I'm actually crabby my second day of my fast. Gotta quit reading the food posts......

[MelonManiac]

Wow this thread blew up :-p ... I just had one of Alissa's truffles and they are so delicious (made with cacao + other stuff) ... Wow lol ... I also orders cacao powder from her store because I could only find "organic" in the HFS I went to and I wanted it by the time I went on vacation (going to add it to my mudslides) ... But I will definitely get around to buying some cheap carob chips and seeing how I like them when I get home!

Stina- Mixing the two in recipes is a really good idea! Thanks :D