Carob isn't raw?

[Amii]

I went to the health food store to pick up some cacao about 10 mins ago; unfortunately they were out of cacao but did have carob powder. So I've tasted carob before and like it so I looked on the ingredients and it did say it was "toasted". So I thought "this isn't right, rawbies use carob powder... there must be a raw version somewhere". However I didn't find one so I bought the toasted one.

When I got in 5 mins ago I googled raw carob and found a page saying that "raw" carob is actually heated to make it digestible and it's still good for you even though it's lacking in nutrients, whereas GENUINELY raw carob is actually bad for you and very hard to digest. Is this true?

Also, did I buy the right carob powder?! :P

[RawKnitster]

I bought something that was labeled raw carob. More recently, it has come to light that there is no 100% raw carob. The same source of carob that I bought "raw", has changed the label to read "Lightly roasted".

[Green_Woman]

Interesting.

I use "really raw" cacao. It's not for everyone. Took me 3 yrs just to try it... a couple weeks to "get used to it"... now I occasionally indulge.

[JennaHoneyBear]

However I didn't find one so I bought the toasted one.


Also, did I buy the right carob powder?! :P

no. Toasted means its cooked and dead. i haven't heard much about raw carob because i prefer cacao. there must be some places to buy it, so many folks use that stuff.

[walnutty]

Natural Zing sells it and it is delicious!

I actually purchase it from Alex the Raw Guru (rawguru.com) because of his FREE SHIPPING for orders of $100 or more in the USA. But it is Natural Zing brand.

p.s. I like to mix half carob with half cacao when making chocolate treats or shakes. Yum-Yum!

[RawKnitster]

Natural Zing is not completely raw either. This is from their website:

Carob Powder (Wildcrafted)

This carob is roasted for 10 minutes, basically roasting the outer shell portion.

This is the product that is used in many of the Raw and Living food snacks available today.

Presently we are working on a couple Raw carob projects. Raw carob has had some stability questions in its production lately. We will carry a high quality raw carob as one comes available.

[RawKnitster]

Don't get me wrong, I'm not saying we shouldn't use it. :) I use "lightly roasted" wildcrafted carob. I'm more concerned about truth in advertising than being 100% raw. With some foods, raw can be a relative term. Doesn't always mean the item has not been heated over 118 degrees.

[DopeRawAbundance]

It's not likely that you'll find a raw carob powder without the help of the the internet. Carob powder gets its "chocolatey" taste from being roasted. I actually don't mind using it as a yummy flavoring for smoothies. I did purchase some raw Carob chunks from Mountain Rose. Its got kind of a weird, cheesy, floral aroma. I like to "juice" it using a nut milk bag, Raw Carob Coconut Milk is too dank. I believe Mountain Rose also has the raw in powdered form. Whether or not its truely raw, I couldn't tell ya.

[deedee74]

Have you tried One Lucky Duck for your raw carob powder?

http://www.oneluckyduck.com/store/product-details.php?id=194&cat=28

[Dimond]

Everyone has always seemed to carry one brand of raw carob powder made by Goldmine (Natural Zing, Alissa, etc.). It doesn't taste good or do much in recipes. Many people didn't like it or find it a good cacao substitute. Nowadays a couple of companies may have another brand, though not sure if it's any better. The one that wasn't truly raw actually tasted really good.

[Shels]

I have Chatfields. Now that I checked it, it is roasted, as when I bought it I was more focused on weight loss than being totally raw. :o
I was initially going to completely replace chocolate with carob (since I was rather addicted), but as it is I just use replace half of the cacao in any given recipe with it.
Carob is interesting, but I don't think it's that great. I'd rather have raw chocolate. :D

[Evie]

Well, I get my raw carob from The raw food world or Natural Zing. It is suppose to be raw. I have consumed carob my whole life. It was always the toasted kind at the health food store. To be honest I never cared much for it. But, my Nana would make desserts with it. I ate it for her. But, after tentatively trying the raw carob I loooved it. The raw carob from the sources above has a richer taste. You can truly tell the difference between it and the "toasted" carob from the health food store. I love to use it to make carob mylk and desserts.:D