where do carrots originate from and were they always orange?

Answer 1

Carrots were not originally orange. Here's info on their origin from Food Network's Good Eats program:



Today, the carrot is the second most popular vegetable on earth—the potato is number one. Now some experts believe that it's the bright orange color that we actually love so much. But truth is, the original carrots didn't look like this. The original carrots looked like this [holds up a much darker black-colored bunch of small raw carrots]. Indeed, the black carrots were cultivated in the Balkans and part of Afghanistan as early as the first century A.D. By the time the 17th century rolled around, carrots came in just about every color you could imagine but orange.



And then along came the Dutch, the very same botanical tinkerers responsible for the hundreds of flavors of tulips and green peppers. Now Dutch growers managed to cross carrots of their day with variations until they isolated this rare mutation from North Africa, which displayed a huge amount of beta-carotene, which, of course, is as orange as the day is long.

Answer 2

Where Did Carrots Originate

Answer 3

Carrots are a member of the parsley family, and likely originated in Asia, from Afganistan to NW India. Evidence suggests they have been culivated for at least 3,000 years. Wild carrots were originally thin and wiry, ranging in color from white to purple-ish. Queen Anne's Lace is a wild carrot. Mutations led to color variation. Both the purple and yellow-orange varieties were brought to the Mediterranean, where it responded well to selection and cultivation. It became common in European diets in the 14th century, and the Dutch cultivated new varieties in the 17th century. Shortly thereafter, the carrot was brought to N and S America, and Japan. Maroon-purple carrots seem to be higher in beta carotene than their orange cousins - Brazilian seeds are being grown at Texas A&M, with the intent of finding ways to increase the levels of vitamin A in the diet. The genes responsible for the color segregate with the genes responsible for the increase of beta carotene.

Answer 4

I think the came originally from Afghanistan. They were certainly known to the Greeks and Romans. The Greeks called the carrot "Philtron" and used it as a aphrodisiac. The Roman emperor Caligula was so taken with this idea that he forced the Roman Senate to eat carrots so he could see them "in rut like wild beasts." In the Middle Ages doctors still prescribed them for everything from sexual problems.

We started eating them in Elizabethan times. Originally they came in all colours, red, purple, black, yellow, and white varieties. What we eat now is a hybrid .

Answer 5

Don't know where they originate from but their actual colour should be purple!

The Dutch somehow mucked about with the genetics and made them orange!

You can actually now buy carrots in their original colour - a bit like a pale beetroot colour! Taste the same though!

Answer 6

As far as I'm aware, carrots have always been grown in England. Their colour has varied, I belive that they were originally purple - you can still get these in some shops. White varieties are also available. The difference colours were brought about by selective breeding. Orange became the more popular colour.

Answer 7

They aren't originally orange. If you go to countries such as Afghanistan and Pakistan and look at the carrots they have their, they're a much darker shade. They look more reddish-brown. But they're much better in taste. I've tried some :)

Answer 8

carrot family or 'umbellifers' are common wild plants in UK & all Europe - it's a huge family & some are poisonous. no doubt bred for quality & size over centuries.yellow carrots & purply ones are available, so probably other colours could be bred.if you grow carrots, it's not unusual for a few to come up different colours .parsnips & parsley are in same family.

Answer 9

Not to sure were they come from apart from the ground but they originally were purple. Think they were changed because of look, and to make more appealing to eye

Answer 10

One grows in the ground, and the other on a tree, they come from many different countries...thanks for the points just thought i'd mention it.