Carrots
Usually known as a vegetable, the carrot (“Daucus Carota”) is actually a root. Its color may be orange or white and has a crisp texture. The plant is native to Europe and Southeastern Asia. There are known two main carrot cultivars: Eastern and Western carrots. The Eastern carrots are domesticated in Asia and distinguish themselves by their orange or purple color. The western carrots were first known in Netherlands and they are the most common type as their color is flame orange.
Carrots can also be classified by their shape:
- Chantenay: shorter than any other variety, but with a greater girth
- Danvers: conic shaped, with a softer texture and a medium size.
- Imperator: the longest and most common variety.
- Nantes: the sweetest taste in their variety, cylindrical and blunt.
Carrots are known all over the world as great sources of vitamins and very nutritious. They contain large amounts of Vitamin C and B, Magnesium, Phosphorus, Potassium and there is no wonder they are the most used vegetables in baby-food. Their high content in Beta-carotene improves the texture of lax tissues and prevents constipation and other intestinal problems. Beta-Carotene is assimilated by the organism in Vitamin A, a great tonic for poor vision and can decrease breast cancer risk.
Massive consumption, though, may cause hypercarotenemia: the skin turns orange, and liver damages are present.
Recently, US University of Wisconsin-Madison has patented a new type of carrots. Their flavor is distinctly minty and their color is white (it’s Beta-carotene free – this is the substance that pigmented the root orange. The new carrot contains instead tocopherol) and they are conceived especially for people allergic to beta-carotene.
China is the largest carrot producer in the world, followed by Russia and United States, while Holtville, California, is known as the “Carrot Capital of the World”. This is where the annual Carrots festival takes place.