Before the 17th century, most carrots were either purple or yellow. The plant is thought to have originated in Afghanistan, and it was primarily used for its seeds and leaves, rather than the roots, which were rather bitter. The Dutch developed the modern-day orange cultivar of carrot, which is much more fleshy and sweet-tasting than the original cultivars.
More facts about carrots:
- The largest producer and distributor of carrots in the modern times is China, which is responsible for producing more than one-third of all carrots each year. The next largest distributors are Russia and the United States.
- If you consume a large amount of carrots or carrot products in a short amount of time, you can turn your skin temporarily orange. This is because of the high levels of beta-carotene in carrots, which is what gives them their characteristic bright hue.
- In Roman times, carrot seeds were commonly taken as an aphrodisiac. Throughout time, carrot leaves and seeds have been used to counteract poisons, relieve menstrual cramps and treat epilepsy, among other things.