January 26, 2021 Image by Rabbi Deborah R. Prinz Carob has long been associated with the Jewish holiday of Tu B’shvat, the New Year of the Trees. But would it be so wrong to include a little chocolate, too? Each has religious connections. Sometimes one is confused for the other. Sometimes, carob even substitutes for chocolate. However, only the carob has traditional associations to this week’s Tu B’shvat and its celebration of trees. Carob is the fruit of a tree that grows in Israel. Chocolate is derived from the cocoa tree, which bears the scientific name theobroma — “the food of the gods.” While the carob has its roots in the Mediterranean, the cocoa tree is rooted in Central America. Both produce pods, which in turn contain edible seeds.