2 days Ago By [email protected] (Haley McNamara)
Although , carrots are a close second. We enjoy using them as a crunchy vehicle for dipping, slipping slivers of them into salads, and mixing shredded pieces into cake batter for added moisture. .
But, can you imagine a world where all of these scenarios involve a purple, white, yellow, black, or red carrot in place of an orange one? Well, carrots in such colors are available today and are commonly known as rainbow carrots. Interestingly, the orange carrots we use today didn't always have their perfectly orange color. According to researchers, carrots were first purple and then became yellow and orange overtime.
It's believed traders from the Middle East first introduced orange carrot seeds to European countries. Although historical records indicate that carrots of all colors have been cultivated for thousands of years, Dutch farmers discovered that orange carrots yielded more favorable results than rainbow carrots. In the Netherlands, orange carrots exhibited higher yields, a longer shelf life, more uniform growth, and a superior flavor.
These characteristics ultimately led farmers to select orange carrots as their default variety. Orange carrots subsequently became the public's preferred choice. This is why so many of us continue to use orange carrots instead of other varieties.
We still love orange carrots Thanks to modern advancements in agriculture, both rainbow and orange carrots are able to effectively grow around the world. This is especially true in the United States, where, until recently, the unfamiliarity of rainbow carrots often led them to be mistaken for a newly innovated crop. These colorful carrots have been regularly appearing at farmer's market's and grocery stores, but striking as these carrots are, the vast majority of American consumers still prefer orange carrots.
Although orange carrots are more favored by U.S. consumers, plant geneticists have been working to make carrots of all colors easier to grow while also enhancing their appearance and nutritional value.
One such example can be found in the concentration of beta-carotene. This antioxidant is responsible for giving orange carrots their color. Once consumed, it is converted to vitamin A which helps protect people from developing certain cancers, cognitive disorders, and heart disease.
Thanks to the work of plant geneticists, the beta-carotene content of orange carrots is significantly higher than it used to be. Researchers encourage consumers to also eat rainbow carrot varieties as they contain different pigment-related nutrients to orange carrots, offering their own unique health benefits. Of course, orange carrots aren't going anywhere, but adding a few rainbow carrots to a plate, whether raw, or roasted (or through ), is a great way to boost health, add visual interest to a meal, and enhance your enjoyment of eating vegetables.
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