Does anyone know what these pods are?

http://photos.wanadoo.co.uk/album/al...photo=38407479

My daughter brought them back from holiday in Cyprus. She tells me that they
fed them to camels, and that she was told that chocolate is(can be) made
from them. But they're not cocoa/cacao beans, cos I googled.

Steve

shazzbat wrote:
Does anyone know what these pods are?

http://photos.wanadoo.co.uk/album/al...photo=38407479

My daughter brought them back from holiday in Cyprus. She tells me
that they fed them to camels, and that she was told that chocolate
is(can be) made from them. But they're not cocoa/cacao beans, cos I
googled.

Carob, aka Carob beans. They can be used to produce a chocolate
substitute which some people like (try a wholefood shop) and which,
it has been argued, is less guilt-ridden than real chocolate. Also
known as "locust beans", they, not an invasive insect, were what John
the Baptist is said to have eaten in the bush ("locusts and wild
honey").

--
Mike.

In article , shazzbat
writes
Does anyone know what these pods are?

http://photos.wanadoo.co.uk/album/al...photo=38407479

My daughter brought them back from holiday in Cyprus. She tells me that they
fed them to camels, and that she was told that chocolate is(can be) made
from them. But they're not cocoa/cacao beans, cos I googled.


Carob, Ceratonia siliqua.

Used as a chocolate substitute. The seeds are supposed to be the
original 'carat' for measuring gold.
--
Kay
"Do not insult the crocodile until you have crossed the river"

In article ,
Mike Lyle wrote:

Carob, aka Carob beans. They can be used to produce a chocolate
substitute which some people like (try a wholefood shop) and which,
it has been argued, is less guilt-ridden than real chocolate. Also
known as "locust beans", they, not an invasive insect, were what John
the Baptist is said to have eaten in the bush ("locusts and wild
honey").

Though locusts were and are eaten, too. In my view, carob 'chocolate'
would taste delicious only after you have starved in the desert for
some considerable time, and had run out of real locusts.


Regards,
Nick Maclaren.

Nick Maclaren wrote:
In article ,
Mike Lyle wrote:

Carob, aka Carob beans. They can be used to produce a chocolate
substitute which some people like (try a wholefood shop) and
which,
it has been argued, is less guilt-ridden than real chocolate. Also
known as "locust beans", they, not an invasive insect, were what
John
the Baptist is said to have eaten in the bush ("locusts and wild
honey").

Though locusts were and are eaten, too. In my view, carob
'chocolate'
would taste delicious only after you have starved in the desert for
some considerable time, and had run out of real locusts.

Agreed; my sister claims to like it, though. I understand animal
locusts, like most arthropods, taste like shrimps: I imagine Rusty's
eaten them, so he can confirm or deny. I've seen people eating
grasshopper legs raw, but found the way they got them so cruel that I
didn't venture to taste. I missed the flying-ant harvest in the
Sudan, too.

--
Mike.

"Kay" wrote in message
...
In article , shazzbat
writes
Does anyone know what these pods are?

http://photos.wanadoo.co.uk/album/al...photo=38407479

My daughter brought them back from holiday in Cyprus. She tells me that
they
fed them to camels, and that she was told that chocolate is(can be) made
from them. But they're not cocoa/cacao beans, cos I googled.


Carob, Ceratonia siliqua.

Used as a chocolate substitute. The seeds are supposed to be the
original 'carat' for measuring gold.
--

Thanks everyone. I meant to add that the pod I cut open had been soaked in
water for a week, as they're like cast iron, and it stinks rotten. I don't
imagine there are too many carobaholics.

Steve

The message
from (Nick Maclaren) contains these words:

Though locusts were and are eaten, too. In my view, carob 'chocolate'
would taste delicious only after you have starved in the desert for
some considerable time, and had run out of real locusts.

I'll go along with that. It tastes rather of sweet cardboard and coffee
grounds.

--
Rusty
horrid dot squeak snailything zetnet point co full-stop uk
http://www.users.zetnet.co.uk/hi-fi/

The message
from "Mike Lyle" contains these words:

Agreed; my sister claims to like it, though. I understand animal
locusts, like most arthropods, taste like shrimps: I imagine Rusty's
eaten them, so he can confirm or deny.

I deny having tried them, but do know that the juice from boiled
woodlice used to be used for a replacement for fishstock by poor folk,
as they (being crustacians) taste strongly of shrimps.

Allegedly.

I've seen people eating
grasshopper legs raw, but found the way they got them so cruel that I
didn't venture to taste. I missed the flying-ant harvest in the
Sudan, too.

Hmmm. Carob ants...

--
Rusty
horrid dot squeak snailything zetnet point co full-stop uk
http://www.users.zetnet.co.uk/hi-fi/

On 2/11/05 22:21, in article , "Kay"
wrote:

In article , shazzbat
writes

"Kay" wrote in message
...
In article , shazzbat
writes
Does anyone know what these pods are?

http://photos.wanadoo.co.uk/album/al...photo=38407479

My daughter brought them back from holiday in Cyprus. She tells me that
they
fed them to camels, and that she was told that chocolate is(can be) made
from them. But they're not cocoa/cacao beans, cos I googled.


Carob, Ceratonia siliqua.

Used as a chocolate substitute. The seeds are supposed to be the
original 'carat' for measuring gold.
--

Thanks everyone. I meant to add that the pod I cut open had been soaked in
water for a week, as they're like cast iron, and it stinks rotten. I don't
imagine there are too many carobaholics.

It makes an attractive little tree if you want to grow the seeds - nice
shiny bronze new foliage.

We have an olive grove in Crete which we might - might - build on one day.
It has 12 olive trees and 3 carob trees on it. I was asked by the Greek
Cypriot father of a friend to bring back some carob 'beans'. AFAIK, he just
chews on them and is absolutely addicted!
--
Sacha
www.hillhousenursery.co.uk
South Devon
(remove the weeds to email me)

In article , Nick Maclaren
writes

In my view, carob 'chocolate'
would taste delicious only after you have starved in the desert for
some considerable time, and had run out of real locusts.


Regards,
Nick Maclaren.

And the Kendal mint cake and Mars bars that you'd packed to be on the
safe side?

--
Janet Tweedy
Dalmatian Telegraph
http://www.lancedal.demon.co.uk

In article ,
Janet Tweedy wrote:
In article , Nick Maclaren
writes

In my view, carob 'chocolate'
would taste delicious only after you have starved in the desert for
some considerable time, and had run out of real locusts.

And the Kendal mint cake and Mars bars that you'd packed to be on the
safe side?

Heck, yes. And even the iron rations.


Regards,
Nick Maclaren.

"Nick Maclaren" wrote in message
...
In article ,
Janet Tweedy wrote:
In article , Nick Maclaren
writes

In my view, carob 'chocolate'
would taste delicious only after you have starved in the desert for
some considerable time, and had run out of real locusts.

And the Kendal mint cake and Mars bars that you'd packed to be on the
safe side?

Heck, yes. And even the iron rations.


Regards,
Nick Maclaren.

It is all 'personal'...I remember my favourite many years ago were the
tinned choc rations made for the armed services..filled with vitamins
etc....a meal by themselves...at the time I was in the production control
dept. of Rowntrees and could sample as much as I wanted as a member of the
company 'tasting panel'....H

"middleton.walker" wrote in message
...

"Nick Maclaren" wrote in message
...
In article ,
Janet Tweedy wrote:
In article , Nick Maclaren
writes

In my view, carob 'chocolate'
would taste delicious only after you have starved in the desert for
some considerable time, and had run out of real locusts.

And the Kendal mint cake and Mars bars that you'd packed to be on the
safe side?

Heck, yes. And even the iron rations.


Regards,
Nick Maclaren.

It is all 'personal'...I remember my favourite many years ago were the
tinned choc rations made for the armed services..filled with vitamins
etc....a meal by themselves...at the time I was in the production control
dept. of Rowntrees and could sample as much as I wanted as a member of the
company 'tasting panel'....H
That would be the tin with 5 bars of chocolate surrounded by boiled sweets,
yes? I remember it well.

And the cheese possessed, but that probably didn't come from Rowntrees

Steve

"shazzbat" wrote in message
...

"middleton.walker" wrote in message
...

"Nick Maclaren" wrote in message
...
In article ,
Janet Tweedy wrote:
In article , Nick Maclaren
writes

In my view, carob 'chocolate'
would taste delicious only after you have starved in the desert for
some considerable time, and had run out of real locusts.

And the Kendal mint cake and Mars bars that you'd packed to be on the
safe side?

Heck, yes. And even the iron rations.


Regards,
Nick Maclaren.

It is all 'personal'...I remember my favourite many years ago were the
tinned choc rations made for the armed services..filled with vitamins
etc....a meal by themselves...at the time I was in the production control
dept. of Rowntrees and could sample as much as I wanted as a member of
the company 'tasting panel'....H
That would be the tin with 5 bars of chocolate surrounded by boiled
sweets, yes? I remember it well.

And the cheese possessed, but that probably didn't come from Rowntrees

Steve

That one is new to me

In article ,
shazzbat wrote:
"middleton.walker" wrote in message
...

In my view, carob 'chocolate'
would taste delicious only after you have starved in the desert for
some considerable time, and had run out of real locusts.

And the Kendal mint cake and Mars bars that you'd packed to be on the
safe side?

Heck, yes. And even the iron rations.

It is all 'personal'...I remember my favourite many years ago were the
tinned choc rations made for the armed services..filled with vitamins
etc....a meal by themselves...at the time I was in the production control
dept. of Rowntrees and could sample as much as I wanted as a member of the
company 'tasting panel'....H
That would be the tin with 5 bars of chocolate surrounded by boiled sweets,
yes? I remember it well.

And the cheese possessed, but that probably didn't come from Rowntrees

Yes. And it is that sort of thing I was thinking of. Like the
approximation to corned beef, which has destroyed the market for
the decent quality stuff in the UK for over half a century.

Middleton Walker is partly right - a lot of it is personal - but
there are some near absolutes. NOBODY likes the coarser yams or
undercooked mealie meal porridge, not even people who have lived
on them for generations. And carob runs that close, which is why,
in the countries it is grown, it is fed to camels and other stock.

My belief is that the chattering classes that claim it is as good
as chocolate are "being positive" to convince themselves, so that
they don't gag on it. But mortifying the flesh is an old activity,
and I have no objection when it is done by consenting adults in
private :-)

Yeah. I am prejudiced. I ate that stuff once, judged it according
to my lights, and refused it a chance to appeal.


Regards,
Nick Maclaren.