Walk into any supermarket today, and you will find a dazzling array of fruits from around the world, regardless of what grows in our own region and is in season. Back in the shtetl, things were not quite that way. Yet even when Eretz Yisrael was still a distant dream for most of Jewry, many of our grandparents and great-grandparents would eat bokser (Yiddish for carob) on Tu B’Shevat, along with other fruits when they were available. Fruits from among the special Seven Species of Eretz Yisrael – grapes, dates, figs, pomegranates, and olives – were especially prized. This 15th day of the Hebrew month of Shevat, the start of the halachic new year for trees in Israel, is a festive, hopeful day, marked by special customs. Today, some people even follow the minhag of the famous kabbalist from Tsfat, Rabbi Isaac Luria (the Ari), who initiated a Tu B’Shevat “seder” that featured the eating of 15 different fruits.
What is the special significance of carob on this day, especially to Ashkenazim? Surely there’s some deep mystical connection – something to do with the story of Rabbi Shimon Bar Yochai, perhaps? As we learn in the Talmud, Rabbi Shimon Bar Yochai, author of the kabbalistic sefer, the zohar, and his son Elazar hid from the Romans 12 years in a cave. Hashem caused a carob tree to grow outside the entrance to the cave, and the fruit from the tree helped sustain the holy sages.
According to Rabbi Gil Marks, author of the Encyclopedia of Jewish Food, the reason is far more prosaic: “In the days before quick transport and refrigeration, the carob’s hard, dry texture made it one of the few fruits grown in the land of Israel capable of withstanding longdistance shipping without spoilage and therefore was available to Ashkenazim.”
Carob may not be the most colorful and visually appealing of fruits, but it is a nutritionally valuable food. Since I never miss an opportunity to educate and counsel people on healthy eating, I thought this would be a good time to focus on carob, along with dates, another Israeli fruit eaten on Tu B’Shevat by Jews around the world. Both are nutrition stars; they are also very versatile and easy to use in a variety of ways.
Carob: An Ancient Legume
Carob is a millennia-old legume that has adapted to harsh climates and poor soil. One of its main uses is as a substitute for chocolate, in its powdered form or as “chips.”
Now, if you’ve been reading my articles in the Where What When in recent months, you know I’m a huge fan of dark chocolate in small amounts. But I realize some people may be sensitive or allergic to chocolate. Fortunately, carob is a great alternative. The authors of The Encyclopedia of Healing Foods, two wellness-oriented physicians and a health writer, even assert that carob beats chocolate in several ways. Here’s a summary of what they write:
â—† Carob is stimulant-free and requires little additional sweetening to be palatable, while cocoa contains, in addition to a small amount of caffeine, the potent caffeine-like stimulant theobromine and requires additional sweetener to make it taste yummy.
â—† Carob provides twice the calcium found in cocoa.
â—† Carob, unlike chocolate, contains no oxalic acid, which may interfere with calcium absorption.
â—† Carob is higher in potassium.
â—† Carob is free of phenylethylamines, a chemical in chocolate that can trigger migraine headaches for some people.
Carob also has a type of tannin (compounds with an astringent or drying quality) that may exert a beneficial effect on the gastrointestinal track by helping to inactivate toxins and inhibit the growth of bacteria. Other studies show that the dietary fiber and large sugar molecules in carob make food more viscous. This apparently can help ease acid reflux by stemming the backing up of stomach acid into the esophagus.
A “grand dame” of healthy cooking, author Jane Kinderlehrer, in her classic Cooking Kosher the Natural Way, maintains that carob is better for children and teens than chocolate because of the above-mentioned reasons. She suggests getting them acclimated to carob by partially substituting carob for cocoa powder in baking recipes, and gradually reducing the amount of cocoa over time. Another approach may be to simply reduce the amount of chocolate-containing foods and increase the amount of carob-containing ones.
However you increase the use of carob in your diet, you’ll surely come to appreciate this unique food for its health benefits, historical significance, and great taste.
Here are two recipes I have adapted from Kinderlehrer’s charming book. The third is from another excellent book she co-wrote with her physician son, Daniel Kinderlehrer, called The Antioxidant Save-Your-Life Cookbook.
ORANGE-CAROB CAKE
1⁄2 c. Earth Balance natural buttery spread (or Spectrum organic vegetable shortening or Spectrum spread or coconut oil or light tasting oil, such as light olive or grape seed oil. I have used them all over the years depending on what I had in the house. The original recipe called for butter and you could use that if you are making it for a dairy meal)
1 c. honey or Liquid Sugar in the Raw
2 c. whole grain flour (wheat, spelt or a gluten-free flour blend that states on the package that it is a one-to-one substitute for regular flour)
1⁄4 c. ground flax seeds or oat flour or teff flour (for added fiber and texture)
1 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. baking soda
1⁄2 c. carob powder (I use Chatfield’s which is now under OU certification)
2 eggs
2⁄3 c. orange juice (I have used pineapple juice and even apple juice.)
In a large bowl, cream together the buttery spread with the honey until thick. Combine the dry ingredients. (Put all dry ingredients in a blender and whiz for few seconds) Add 1/4 of the flour mixture to the creamed mixture and mix until smooth. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well. Add the rest of the flour mixture alternately with the orange juice, beating well after each addition.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly oil an 8 x 8-inch baking dish. Pour batter into the baking dish and bake for 45 minutes or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean. Yield: 18 21⁄2 inch squares.
CAROB SYRUP
Use this syrup as you would chocolate syrup: 2 teaspoons to a glass of milk (dairy or non-dairy), hot or cold.
1⁄2 c. honey or Liquid Sugar in the Raw
1⁄2 c. carob powder
1 tsp. arrowroot starch
1 c. water
1 tsp. vanilla extract
Combine all ingredients in a saucepan and bring to a boil, stirring all the while. Let simmer for 5 minutes. Cool and store in the refrigerator. Yield: 1 cup.
CAROB-WALNUT CLUSTERS
2 T. Earth Balance buttery spread (or see suggestions under Orange-Carob Cake above)
1⁄4 c. honey
1 egg
11⁄2 tsp. vanilla
5 T. carob powder
1⁄2 c. whole grain flour
11⁄2 c. coarsely chopped walnuts
In a food processor, blender, or mixing bowl, combine buttery spread, honey, eggs, and vanilla and mix. Add carob powder and flour. Mix until ingredients are well combined, then stir in the walnuts. Preheat oven to 325 degree. Drop batter by teaspoons onto a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper or sprayed with cooking spray. Bake for 15 minutes. Yield: 30 to 36 clusters.
CAROB-OATMEAL COOKIE BARS
This recipe was inspired by one I found in the creative self-published book, Allergy-Free at Last by Leiba Bibla.
2 eggs
1⁄2 c. light tasting oil (light olive, grape seed, or high oleicsafflower oil)
2⁄3 c. maple syrup or honey
1⁄2 tsp. vanilla extract
3 c. rolled oats
2 c. oat flour (like Arrowhead Mills brand)
1⁄3 c. of carob powder
1 c. carob chips (Chatfield’s has parve carob chips under the OU)
1 T. baking powder
Mix eggs, oil, maple syrup, and vanilla well. Add rolled oats, oat flour, carob powder, and baking powder. Mix well. Line a 9 x 13-inch pan with parchment paper, press all the dough in evenly and bake for 40 minutes. Let cool and cut into bars.
â—† â—† â—†
Delightful Dates
Delicious dates are an excellent source of fiber, B-vitamins, and potassium. For the same weight, dates contain almost double the amount of potassium as bananas. Dates also have a natural balance of many other minerals such as calcium, magnesium, manganese, and zinc.
Dates contain a special type of soluble fiber called beta-D-glucan which research shows can decrease the body’s absorption of cholesterol and slow or delay adsorption of glucose in the small intestine (which helps to keep blood sugar levels even). Since soluble fiber slows the rate at which the stomach digests and empties its contents after a meal, dates can increase feelings of satiety and may be an aid to weight management.
The authors of the Encyclopedia of Healing Foods surprising rich in antioxidants and anticancer compounds.” Dates are particularly rich in polyphenols, a plant antioxidant that has a high capacity for reducing oxidative stress by destroying dangerous free radicals in the body that can cause disease.”
Besides their nutritional value, dates add a wonderful sweetness to baked goods and can be used creatively in many recipes. Three types of dates are available in the United States: soft, semi-soft, and dried. Common names are Deglet Moor, Barhi, and Medjool. (Medjool dates are also a very popular Israeli variety with an exquisite taste and texture.)
Here are some quick ideas for dates:
â—† Eat on their own or stuff with almonds, pecans, peanut butter or cottage cheese.
â—† Substitute chopped dates for raisins in breads, muffins, or cookies.
â—† Mix chopped dates into your favorite nut butter and use as a spread.
â—† Use chopped dates in yogurt, hot cereal, and rice or grain dishes.
WONDERFUL DATE NUT BREAD
Here’s a recipe modified from the website of the
California date board: datesaregreat.com.
2 c. dates, chopped
1 c. hot water
1⁄3 c. natural sweetener, such as Sucanat or Florida Crystals
1⁄2 c. honey
2 T. light tasting oil
1 egg, beaten
2 tsp. vanilla extract
2 c. whole grain flour, sifted
1 tsp. baking soda
1⁄2 tsp. salt
1 c. walnuts, chopped
Combine dates, water, sugar, honey, and oil and let stand 15 minutes. Stir in egg and vanilla extract. Sift together flour, baking soda, and salt. Stir into batter with nuts. Pour into greased pan and bake at 325 degrees for 50 to 60 minutes. Cool in pan for 10 minutes.
DATE-RAISIN-FIG-OATMEAL BAKE
I was thrilled that this recipe also includes another fruit connected to Tu B’Shevat: figs. I modified this from one I found on Dole.com.
3 c. quick cooking or regular rolled oats
1 c. chopped dates
1 c. raisins
1 c. chopped walnuts
1⁄2 c. chopped figs (dried black mission figs)
1 T. baking powder
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. cinnamon
2 c. almond or other non-dairy milk
1⁄4 c. natural sugar
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Stir together oats, dates, figs, baking powder, salt, and cinnamon in large bowl. Add milk and sugar. Stir until well blended. Spoon mixture in a 9 x13-inch pan sprayed with nonstick cooking spray. Smooth surface. Bake 35 to 40 minutes or until lightly browned. Cool slightly. Cut into squares.â—†
Lauren Mirkin, CNS, LDN, LGPC, is a licensed nutritionist and counselor. She provides nutritional counseling at the Johns Hopkins Integrative Medicine and Digestive Center at Green Spring Station. Contact her at 443-326-7023 or holisticnutritionhelp@gmail.com.
