The carrot it is an edible root and its orange color is due to its high content of carotenes, which act as important antioxidants. Specifically, carrots are rich in beta-carotene and this, when metabolized by the liver, is transformed into vitamin A, a vitamin with high antioxidant power and especially important to keep our vision in optimal condition.
A curiosity about this edible root is that its color may vary slightly depending on the season in which it is harvested, since we are facing a biannual food crop. Due to the important nutrients it provides us, carrots are highly valued in food and as a medicinal remedy. If you are interested in learning more about this edible root, we invite you to continue reading this oneHowTo.com article and discover the origin and history of carrot.
Origin of the word carrot
The origin of the word carrot from current Castilian, comes from old Castilian çahanoria, which comes from Hispanic Arabic safunnārjah and, in turn, east of the Maghreb اسفنارية (isfannāríjja). The latter has origins in ancient Greek σταφυλίνη ἀγρία (sour stafylíne).
Origin and history of the carrot
The domestic origin of the carrot dates back to 3,000 BC and botanical experts geographically locate this origin in Afghanistan, due to the great diversity of varieties that existed in this area.
One of the most important curiosities about the origin of the carrot is that it did not initially possess the intense orange color that now characterizes it, but rather a variety that was cultivated purple on the outside and orange on the inside. Another curiosity is that initially this root was not cultivated to be eaten but was harvested for its aromatic leaves and seeds, as is the case today with herbs such as cumin, fennel or parsley.
In the 1st century the use of carrots for medicinal purposes Since it was considered a powerful aphrodisiac, this use occurred in ancient Greece and Rome. In ancient Rome, in addition to having medicinal uses, the carrot was already a daily part of the diet and it has been documented that its consumption was mainly in the company of spices and mulled wine, however, the carrot consumed by the Romans was not the that we know today, but it had a purple and yellowish color and its shape was much thinner and elongated. In the 6th century, illustrations of it appeared together with botanical explanations in the book Dioscorides of Vienna, but in addition, in Pompeii, the Italian Peninsula, paintings of great antiquity are preserved that show roots of peculiar color in bundles.
How the carrot came to be as we know it today
The carrot followed long trajectories until it achieved the wide distribution that characterizes it today, perhaps because of this long trajectory this root has its own myths. The best known myth about the orange color of the carrot is that the first root of this color was obtained crossing a red and a yellow variety in the area of the Netherlands, precisely to honor the Dutch Royal House with the color orange. However, today this is known as a simple myth, since in the 6th century the important botanical and medicinal plant book Dioscorides of Vienna already represented orange carrots, therefore it follows that simply that variety was selected among multiple other crosses.
Carrot production became widespread in the 15th century, but it was not until the 16th century that the orange and robust carrot that we know today began to be cultivated, this cultivation began in the Netherlands. The Dutch investigated how to improve the species and eventually produced 4 varieties of carrot currently consumed:
- Early half long
- Late half long
- Scarlet
- Long orange
How the carrot gets to Europe
There is some controversy about how the carrot was introduced in Europe, it is believed that the introduction of this edible root on the shores of the Mediterranean Sea occurred thanks to the greeks and romans in the 1st millennium BC
It is also believed that the carrot arrives in Spain through North Africa during the time of Muslim rule over the Iberian Peninsula. From Spain it was distributed to the rest of the European continent, then purple, white and yellow varieties were grown.
The carrot in the American continent
the carrot is introduced to America in the 17th century and quickly in this continent they began to grow carrots, mainly due to the fact that they began to know what are the benefits of carrots for the health of the human organism.
Regarding the medicinal and food uses of carrots, in the 19th century the micronutrients contained in this food were discovered and a special importance is given to vitamin A (obtained through beta-carotene), an essential vitamin for a proper functioning of the vision and the eyeball. For this reason, during WWII, British airmen were given large quantities of carrots in their meals to keep their vision intact.
The current production of carrots
Currently, the main producing country of this edible root is China, since it produces approximately 7 million tons per year, followed by countries such as the United States, Russia and Poland. The production of carrots in Spain is also worth noting, since it produces 400,000 tons of this food annually.
Currently an attempt is being made to recover the cultivation of different varieties since this also means recovering a whole range of colors, which would be very useful to make more striking dishes. From its origin to the present, the carrot has proven to be a very healthy food for our body and, therefore, should be present in our diet, especially during its season, since seasonal foods provide us with those nutrients that our body needs specifically in a certain season of the year. If it has been useful to know the origin and history of the carrot and you like this edible root, we recommend that you try adding it to your diet with dishes such as cream of carrots or a carrot cake.
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