Carob

The long, leathery pods from the tropical carob tree contain a sweet, edible pulp and a few hard, inedible seeds. The pulp is dried, roasted and ground into a powder, which is then used to flavor baked goods and candies. Carob is sweet, low in fat, has no caffeine and tastes similar to chocolate and is often used as a chocolate substitute. The seeds, which are extremely uniform in size and weight, are thought to have been the original standard karat weight used by jewelers.