<<Disclaimer: Verify this information before applying it to your situation.>>

Despite a total ignorance of the German language, I believe I can answer
Kirsten Klinghammer's question about a product from Germany called Tartex
Biobin which has an ingredient called "johannisbrotkernmehl."  This word
sounds strikingly like "St.  John's bread" to me.  St.  John's Bread is
another name for a vegetable product also known as carob.

Carob pods are described in "The Health Food Dictionary with Recipes" by
Carroll and Vona (Weathervane Books, 1973) as follows:

"The flat leathery seed pods of the carob tree are sometimes called St.
John's bread in reference to a belief that these pods were the 'locust' St.
John fed on in the wilderness--for the honey locust tree is somewhat similar
to the carob tree.  The carob tree is native to the Mediterranean region;
before chocolate became a common commodity, the dry carob pod was a 'candy'
to the poorer children of that area....

"Carob is used nowadays mainly as a chocolate substitute for those who are
allergic to chocolate or wish to avoid it because of its fat content (carob
has 2 percent fat as opposed to the 52 percent in chocolate)...."

Carroll and Vona's definition of carob powder is as follows:  "The flourlike
powder of the ground carob is found [in health food stores] toasted and raw.
The toasted powder is a dark brown, similar in appearance to cocoa, and this
is mostly used as a chocolate substitute.  As a general rule, 3 teaspoons
carob powder plus 2 tablespoons liquid (water or milk) equal 1 square of
unsweetened chocolate."

As this is just an informed guess on my part, the usual disclaimers apply.

To your health!

Irwin Cooper
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