Interesting facts about the carob tree
For centuries the carob tree was one of the most important and most important useful trees on the island, alongside the olive tree, and carob the most important export item. The island-wide, coastal cultivation has almost come to a standstill. Nowadays it is only operated in the south, in the village of Anogyra, where it is also of economic importance. In the north, however, all businesses have deteriorated over time.
Carob trees, which are said to have originally come from the Arabian Peninsula, were already cultivated in ancient times, in the 2nd millennium BC, in the eastern Mediterranean. These very undemanding trees, which can reach heights of up to 17 m, grow primarily near the coast. They are very resilient. They prefer calcareous soils as a location and can withstand very high temperatures and dry periods without irrigation. To regulate their own water balance, they shed old, leathery leaves. Nevertheless, the carob tree is and will remain an evergreen tree! The only thing he can't take is frost. That is why it is not found in areas over 500 m.
Despite its very slow growth, the tree grows into a long-lived fruit tree that will produce pods for 80-100 years. A harvest is possible for the first time 7-8 years after planting and can yield up to 200 kg, sometimes even up to 250 kg, of pods!
The harvest takes place every year in August. The fruits must be brought in within 3 weeks. The entire harvesting process is laborious and labor-intensive manual work.
There are three types of "black gold" native to Cyprus: Tylliria, Koundourka and Koumbota, all of which have the length of the pods, which can be up to 20 cm long, the sugar content, which is around 50%, and the weight percentage of the kernels on the total weight.
The kernels of the fruit were already of great importance in ancient times due to their always exactly the same weight of 0,205 g: they have been used as the smallest unit of weight for 1.500 years. The Arabs used the kirat to weigh precious stones. The Greek name for it is "kerátion", from which today's word carat is derived.
Even today, the kernels are economically more important than the fruit. Thanks to the increasingly conscious and ecological diet, the processed fruit or its viscous, sweet pulp found its way back into the shops as a niche product.
The locust bean gum obtained from the fruit is better known and is made from the roasted and ground pulp of the pod. In this form, it is used in the food industry as an additive and substitute, as a stabilizer and thickener, for example in soups, sauces, dairy products and dressings, and as a binding and gelling agent, including in puddings and jellies. Due to its low calorie content, it is increasingly and preferably used in the production of diet foods and as a bulking agent in the baked goods industry. Even the animal feed industry benefits from the stabilizing properties. The "black gold", the carob syrup, or Greek Mavros Chrysos, with its high sugar content of 50%, is a great alternative to sugar in cakes and desserts. In Northern Cyprus this specialty is called pekmez, a black, syrup-like, thick and mineral-rich extract that is mixed with yogurt and tomato sauce, for example.
It's refreshing as a drink: Kharoub. These days this is offered by street vendors, especially in Egypt and Turkey. In the past even brandy was distilled from the fruit. It was used to preserve fruits and to make coffee and even cocoa from the roasted and ground kernels.
The tree itself is a popular and sought-after ornamental tree as well as providing shade. Because of its dense and deep roots, it is used by fruit growers to protect the plantations from storms. Slow-burning charcoal is traditionally made from its hard and dense wood.
