(Ceratonia siliqua), tree of the pea family (Fabaceae), native to the eastern Mediterranean region and cultivated elsewhere. It is sometimes known as locust, or St. John's bread, in the belief that the “locusts” on which John the Baptist fed were carob pods. The tree, about 15 metres (50 feet) tall, has pinnately compound (feather-formed), glossy evergreen leaves with thick leaflets. It has red flowers followed by flat, leathery pods 7.5–30 centimetres (3–12 inches) long. The pods contain 5 to 15 hard brown seeds embedded in a sweet, edible pulp.