If you like chocolate and enjoy honey then you're going to just love Carob Honey. This single flower treat is quite rare but it's certainly not unknown to connoisseurs of fine honey. So what is carob and why does it taste like chocolate? Watch the video below to find out more about this unusual, yet healthy food.
My Notes on Carob Honey
This is an almost black honey. It's best described as a chocolaty, malty flavor with a delightful thick smooth texture about it. Not only does carob honey taste great but it's super healthy too. The three main health benefits to this food are:
- It's high in antioxidants
- It's high in minerals
- It has antibacterial properties
About the Carob Tree
Carob is a small evergreen flowering tree (Seratonia Siliqua) that belongs to the pea family. It's a plant that is native to the Mediterranean region and it can live for centuries; its honey can live for even longer, like all honeys. The plant is especially prevalent in the eastern and southern area of Spain. Honey is just a tiny part of this plant's story. Farmers cultivate carob for its edible seeds too. This fascinating plant can now be found in the following countries:
- Algeria
- Cyprus
- Greece
- Israel
- Libya
- Morocco
- Southern Anatolia
- Spain
- Syria
- Tunisia
Most people may not have heard of this honey but it's not new. In fact, it's been around since before biblical times. It was then, as it is now, greatly treasured. Carob honey is indeed rare and therefore limited in supply. For this reason it's quite expensive, though the cost is a small price to pay for those who appreciate this wonderful, natural food.
The Carob tree blooms during the autumn and the bees go crazy for its flowers. When the Carob tree is in full bloom you can hear it hum with life. These are the sounds of nature, the wild pollinators, and especially the honey bees.
Unlike most tree honeys, carob honey comes from flower nectar. This is why raw carob honey shares many of its characteristic with the carob fruit pod. The pod is also a complete food, rich in minerals and vitamins.
For many, carob is the king of all honeys.
If you want to know more about the science behind the carob plant and its nutritional benefits go here: Carob (Ceratonia siliqua)
Summary
If you're looking for a nutritious, tasty honey with a difference, then you will want to put carob honey on the table. This single flower, rare food is the caviar of the honey world. It brings a chocolate taste without the downsides of real chocolate. This really is a unique and delicious honey, though it might be an acquired taste.