Are carob and tamarind related?
Carob and tamarind are both members the legume family, but not closely related, as they do not belong to the same genus. The Tamarind (Tamarindus indica) is the only species of the genus Tamarindus in the family Fabaceae. It is a tropical tree, native to eastern Africa, including parts of the Madagascar dry deciduous forests. The fruit is a brown pod-like legume, which contains a soft pulp and many hard-coated seeds. Carob (Ceratonia siliqua) also belongs to the family Fabaceae (legumes). Carob is native to the eastern Mediterranean, probably the Middle East, where it has been in cultivation for at least 4000 years. The plant was well known to the ancient Greeks, who planted seeds of this plant in Greece and Italy. There are references to carob in the Bible.
