Charismatic Carrots

Carrots? The favorite food of Bugs Bunny hardly needs a description, for they are well known and loved even by the youngest of children in many countries. Carrots’ benefits are legendary – I bet your mother told you that eating carrots would keep your eyesight bright, or eating carrots will help you see in the dark, or even drinking carrot juice will make your hair shiny.

Carrots are a root vegetable from the Umbelliferae family along with parsnips, fennel, caraway, cumin and dill which all have the umbrella-like flower clusters that characterize this family of plants. It has a thick, fleshy, deeply colored root, which grows underground, and feathery green leaves that emerge above ground. It is known scientifically as (Daucus carota), a name that can be traced back to ancient Roman writings of the 3rd century. It is believed that Carrots spread throughout the Mediterranean region from trade with central Asia – specifically Afghanistan and were adopted by the ancient Greeks and Romans for their medicinal use.

Carrots were formerly every color: red, black, yellow, white and especially purple. Everything EXCEPT orange. During the 16th century Dutch horticulturists began improving the color and flavor of this new vegetable. The purple variety fell out of favor quickly, bringing the brighter yellow carrot into the spotlight. A white carrot appeared as an anomaly in Germany during the mid 16th century and now occasionally appears in agricultural harvests.
The truly orange carrot, indicating the presence of beta carotene, is attributed to Dutch cultivation and is depicted in Flemish paintings of the 17th and 18th centuries. Europeans favored the growing of this one over the purple variety, which was and still is widely grown in other areas of the world, including southern Asia and North Africa. Carrots were subsequently introduced into the North American colonies. Owing to its heightened popularity, in the early 1800s, the carrot became the first vegetable to be canned. Today, the United States, France, England, Poland, China and Japan are among the largest producers of carrots.

Simple and Easy

Easy to pack and perfect as crudités for that favorite dip, the crunchy texture and sweet taste of carrots is popular among both adults and children. Although they are shipped around the country from California throughout the year, locally grown carrots are in season in the summer and fall when they are the freshest and most flavorful.
The freshest carrots will have healthy-looking tops or, if you don't see the tops, just avoid any that look limp or tired. Farmer's markets are also great places to look for different colors of this super-sweet root vegetable from golden to a dark purple. Because of their natural sweetness and crispy texture, carrots can be added to lots of dishes raw for color and crunch or steamed, stir-fried, pickled, made into soups or purees, juiced, or added to your favorite carrot cake recipe.

Recipes for Lunch Boxes
Medicinal Benefits