Matthew Jeffery, age 11, of Unionville, Ontario, Canada, for his question:

 

WHAT IS CAROB?

A carob is a dark evergreen tree which grows wild in the countries that border the Mediterranean Sea.

The carob tree looks very much like an apple tree and has small flowers. The carob grows a brown, leathery pod that is from four to 10 inches long. The pod contains a sticky pulp that is fed to horses and cattle and is sometimes eaten by men.

Carob is supposed to have been eaten by John the Baptist when he lived in the wilderness. Sometimes the tree is called Saint John's bread.

Today the carob tree can also be found in a number of places in the southern part of the United States. Bread made from the meal of the carob bean in known as locust bread.