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Are Ħarrub Malta’s Next Big Superfood?

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While carob trees dot the Maltese landscape and jars of ?ulepp tal-?arrub gather dust at the back of nanna’s cupboards, it’s safe to say that carob is not exactly a go-to ingredient for many daily recipes.

It looks like that’s all finally set to change over the next few months. Here are some of your new obsessions, and you’re welcome.

Carob Tea is now a thing and it sounds amazing

Traditional Gozitan food company it-Tokk have just announced their latest product, a carob tea made from “premium quality carob pods.”

And the best part? It’s caffeine and gluten free! That means you get all the benefits that come with a hot drink without the extra stress on your body.

Other companies have already experimented with carob tea before, with The Carob Tree having even exhibited and sold this traditional product in an agricultural fair in Milan!

Carob Powder is set to beat cocoa

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Crushed carob makes for a healthy alternative to cocoa powder, since it is low in calories, contains no fat, is caffeine free, and can be used as a substitute for chocolate in cakes, cookies and candies. Yes please.

Carob powder is another recent product introduced by companies like it-Tokk, and we’re hoping it catches on in a much bigger way soon.

?ulepp is making a hipster comeback

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Adding water to carob syrup, or ?ulepp tal-?arrub as it’s known in Maltese, can make for a refreshing drink which you can enjoy as both a cold or hot beverage, depending on the season. It’s also been used as a traditional elixir for coughs, not to mention its popularity as a strong antioxidant.

Even though ?ulepp never really left the hearts of many in Malta, it had gone down in popularity, with scores of different flavoured teas and actual medicinal syrup taking priority.

Now, it seems like ?ulepp is set to make a comeback, and we’ve probably got hipsters and people who love quirky traditional food and drink to thank for that. Organic food and drinks company Ta’ Karmen have even started selling jars of ?ulepp as wedding favours!

Whoever it is who’s helping to push forward this new trend, we raise our ?ulepp glasses to you.

Tag a friend who loves ?ulepp tal-?arruba!

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Lovin Malta's Head of Content, Dave has been in journalism for the better half of the last decade. Prefers Instagram, but has been known to doomscroll on TikTok. Loves chicken, women's clothes and Kanye West (most of the time).

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