About International Carrot Day
Carrots can be traced back about 5,000 years through historical documents and paintings. No one knows exactly when the first carrots appeared because many people mistook them for parsnips, a close relative of the carrot.
They are believed to be originated from Persia and were initially cultivated for their leaves and seeds. The taproot of the plant is considered to be edible, although the greens are sometimes eaten.
- Did you know? California produces over 85% of all carrots grown in the United States.
Carrots naturally come in many colours, flavours, and textures and contain different nutrients. White carrots are crispy, red carrots are starchy, purple carrots are spicy, etc.
So how come carrots always seem to be orange and taste the same? One word – Netherlands. During the 17th century, the Dutch tore away from the Spanish politics of the time thanks to the Dutch royal family, the House of Orange-Nassau.
To honour the royal family, they turned everything orange – houses, clothes, jam, candles, liqueurs, and, of course, carrots. Thanks to international trade, they spread orange carrots to the rest of the world until society barely recognized any other type.
- Did you know? Mel Blanc, the voice of the cartoon character Bugs Bunny, reportedly did not like carrots.
- Did you know? Carrots are the second most popular vegetable in the world, after potatoes. The average person will consume 10,866 carrots in their lifetime.
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