Carrots were domesticated in the ancient empires located in today’s Iran and Afghanistan over 5000 years ago. From there, this great root vegetable spread across the known world.
There are over 100 species of edible carrots today.
Until 17th century, the only edible types of carrots had black, white, red and purple colors. The iconic orange carrots were created by selective breeding in Netherlands as a tribute to the ruling House of Orange.
Since their arrival to ancient Greece and Rome to their expansion in medieval Europe, carrots were often used for their medicinal properties. Romans famously though that carrots are aphrodisiacs.
87% of carrot is water.
Carrots lost their bitterness, dryness of the core and gained sweetness only during 17th and 18th century.
Carrot is one of the most sugary vegetables in the world. Only beet has it more.
American cuisine did not approve of carrots for the longest time. They became fond of it only after their soldiers returned home from the World War I when they had constant contact with this great vegetable.
Carrots can be eaten raw, boiled or made into sweet juice.
One teaspoon can hold 2000 carrot seeds.
The world longest carrot was measured to be 5.839 meters (19 feet 1 7/8 inches). The heaviest one was grown in 1998 and it weighted 8.61 Kg.
Carrot leaves were once used as a fashion statement (they were carried in the hair, especially in 17th century England).
Among all vegetables, carrots have the largest content of vitamin A (beta carotene). 100 grams of carrot will give you 104% of the recommended daily dose of that vitamin!
Carrots were brought to America in 1607 with the first settlers who landed in Jamestown.
Number of carrots one ordinary person consumes in his lifetime – 10,866.
Carrots have natural sweet sugar in them, which can be destined into alcohol.
Wild rabbits don’t eat wild carrots.
First canned food contained carrots.
Ancient Greeks called carrots Philtron and Karoto, Celts called it “honey underground”, and Japanese call them “ninjin”.
City Holtwille in California is often called “The Carrot Capital of the World”. They have a annual carrot festival that dates back more than 60 years.
Carrots are good source of fiber.
One glass of milk contains the same amount of calcium as in 9 carrots.
In 2010, worldwide production of carrots reached 33.5 million tons. The largest producer and exporter was china with 15.8 million tons. United States was second and Russia third.
One carrot gives you the energy to walk one mile!
If you eat too much carrot you may cause condition cause “cartonemia”. It gives your skin yellowish tint.
30% of American Vitamin A intake comes from carrots.
Carrots have many medicinal properties – they can repair damaged cells, maintain health of the skin, serve as good antiseptic for skin wounds, cure eye diseases, very effectively clean your mouth from bacteria, regulate alkaline ratio of your body, treat worms in children, improve vision, improve breast milk in women, restore regular function of liver, regulate blood pressure, and much more.
Some of the most famous carrot types are Dutch Carrots, Imperitor, Nantes, nantes-Berlicium and Kuronda (Koyo).