Carob Tree

It is an evergreen tree planted for ornamental purposes and mainly for its fruit that is called a pod. The pods are edible and take a full year to develop and ripen; eventually falling to the ground.

The ripe, dried pods are often ground to carob powder and is used as a substitute for cocoa powder. They contain iron, magnesium, calcium and vitamins A, B2, B3. A female tree can produce up to 100 kgs of beans.

Carob syrup is widely exported and is known as Cyprus’s black gold.