And on August 15, you can pick them
The carob – sit in its shade and enjoy its sweet pods, but not before August 15
You may know the carob tree from its ‘fat shade’ or pashia skia – as the locals refer to it – but did you know that before mid-August it is illegal to pick this ‘black gold’, the intensely sweet fruit which brings in anything in excess of €2 million per year?
The dark brown arc-shaped pod with its wrinkly, leathery skin, contains dietary fibre and antioxidants and can be eaten straight from the tree or processed into honey-textured syrups to spread on bread, flavour food, drizzled on porridge or added to a plethora of sweets instead of sugar.
However, a dollop in tea instead of honey is not everyone’s cup of tea – so to speak – so go easy and experiment as its distinct flavour in familiar favourites may take a great deal of getting used to for first-timers.
The pulp – rich in sucrose, glucose, cellulose and tannins – may aid weight loss and reduce blood sugar, insulin and cholesterol levels.
Carobs can be powdered and used as a cocoa substitute. They are also used as animal fodder and ground down for use in the production of cosmetics, medicines, photographic film, matches, paint, ink and glue.
The trees are considered to absorb the lead in the atmosphere and their roots contribute to preventing erosion.
Locals swear by the carob being a natural health remedy and vegans consume it as an alternative to honey. Products line the shelves of supermarkets and souvenir shops.
Sophia loves carobs and its products and eats carob syrup – charoupomelo – on unsalted anari, a soft Cypriot cheese.
“I also freeze charoupomelo and it becomes like caramel,” she tells the Cyprus Mail.
Carob syrup “is delicious on tertziellouthkia – a kind of pasta used in sweets. We cook them in charoupomelo,” Sophia says.
Sophia, who has a young son and also a large broader family with children of all ages, says they use carob syrup as a natural remedy for mouth sores.
“It is also very soothing when you have a sore throat and wonderful diluted in hot milk on a cold winter’s day,” she says.
Her 11-year-old son, Michail, has been eating carobs picked straight from a tree.
Sophia says you have to know when to pick them to eat raw.
“If you pick them too early, they are not ripe. Too late and they are too hard. At the right time they are easy to bend open and soft and sweet on the inside.
Nikos, another carob afficionado, consumes its products during fasting time.
“I fast before all the major religious holidays and carob syrup is vegan,” he explains.
In June 2023, parliament passed legislation prohibiting the gathering, transport and trade of unripe carobs before August 15, with violators facing fines of up to €1,000.
The purpose of the law was to promote sustainable agricultural development and adaptation to the conditions brought about by climate change, and limit damage to trees.
After August 15, take a trip into the Cyprus countryside, closer to Larnaca, Limassol and Paphos, when the carobs will be at their softest and sweetest.
On your drive you will see goats straining to reach the carobs hanging from the branches. Being good climbers and ‘defying the laws of nature’, goats manage to get into trees and chomp on the pods hanging all around them.
Carobs are also sold at petting farms, as ruminants and other herbivores, such as donkeys and camels, love to chew on them.
The carob tree – known in Cyprus as charoupia, xylokeratia or teratsia – belongs to the Leguminosae family, genus Ceratonia and species Ceratonia siliqua L.
Its scientific name is derived from the Greek word ceras meaning ‘horn’ and the Latin word siliqua in reference to its firmness and shape.
The carob tree originates in the Middle East and is cultivated in Mediterranean countries, mainly in coastal areas.
According to a publication by the Department of Agriculture, EU countries produce about 75 per cent of the world’s production.
The carob tree’s presence in Cyprus goes back many decades and was one of the main sources of income, often referred to as ‘black gold’ of Cyprus.
When the commercial value of carobs plunged in the 1960s and coastal areas saw rapid tourist development, the carob tree was neglected and its numbers shrank.
“Being low maintenance, it is an attractive cultivation for producers and especially those seeking a complimentary income,” Efthymia Despotaki of the Agricultural Department told the Cyprus Mail.
“Over the past years, especially after the financial crisis and the unemployment that ensued, coupled with the increase in demand for the product, there is a return to the cultivation and utilisation of carobs.”
Cyprus, which in 1960 was the third biggest producer of carobs worldwide, now has small concentrations of up to ten trees per hectare, while organised plantations have no more than 23 per hectare and are few and far between.
Based on 2012 data, carob tree cultivated areas were 1,709 hectares, producing 9,123 tonnes of carobs per year, which translated into €2.14 million in value.
Of the total production, 34 per cent remains in the domestic market for processing, 20 per cent is used as animal fodder and 46 per cent is exported.
In 2022, hectares dropped to 1,340.
According to the Statistical Service, carob prices in 2020 were €583 per tonne. In 2023 the price had dropped to €400 per tonne.
The carob tree is evergreen and can reach 10m in height and thrives in hot climates, in dry, rocky and limestone-rich ground.
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