Proverbs, Idioms and Folk Beliefs About Carob
Carob has also left its mark on folk culture, as it is a tree that has accompanied the daily life of Mediterranean people for centuries. Carob, which takes its name from the shape of the fruit in Turkish; It has been the subject of the phrase "two dirhams and one seed", carob idioms and riddles living in the Turkish Cypriot dialect, a legend connected to Lokman Hekim, beliefs in folk medicine and harvest festivals.
Read MoreCarob in Scripture and Religious Traditions
Carob was so prevalent in the daily life of the Eastern Mediterranean that it found its way into religious texts and traditions. In the parable of the Prodigal Son in the New Testament, the pods eaten by pigs are often interpreted as carob; the name "St. John's bread" in English comes from a tradition of interpretation dating back to John the Baptist.
Read More
The Origin of the Name Carob and Its Names in Different Languages
Since carob is a tree that has been known in the Mediterranean basin for thousands of years, it is called by different names in every language and even in different regions of the same country. It is called "carob" and "carob" in Turkish, "carob" in English, "algarroba" in Spanish, "garrofa" in Catalan and "carruba" in Italian. Most of these names go back to the Arabic word "kharrūb". The scientific name Ceratonia siliqua is derived from the Greek words "horn" and Latin "pod".
Read More