Carrubo (The Tree) and Carruba (The Pod)

These are said to be the ‘locusts’ eaten by St John the Baptist. You munch them and spit out the shiny seeds.

Of particular interest to me, these seeds provided the original ‘carat’ weight of jewellers. The pods are sold on market stalls in winter in the Veneto. In the Salento you pick your own. A pod or two enter into the infusion of macchia plants used to swill out the wine barrels, before filling them again at the vendemmia.