The invention relates to a process of recovering arabinose and optionally other monosaccharides from vegetable fiber rich in heteropolymeric arabinose, such as gum arabic. Said other monosaccharides are typically selected from galactose and rhamnose. The process of the invention comprises controlled hydrolysis of the arabinose-rich vegetable fiber and fractionation of the hydrolysis product to obtain a fraction enriched in arabinose and optionally other product fractions followed by crystallization of arabinose. The invention also relates to a novel method of crystallizing arabinose from biomass-derived material. Furthermore, the invention relates to novel crystalline L-arabinose.