Fresh carrot consumption in 2021 averaged 8.6 pounds per person. It's clear that we're crazy about this nutritious and delicious veggie.
If you go to the produce section of your local supermarket, you might be surprised to find a bunch of rainbow carrots instead of the usual orange carrots.
But did you know that, the majority of carrots were purple until the 17th century? However, why are most carrots now orange rather than purple?
Orange carrots were first cultivated in the 16th and 17th centuries by Dutch farmers who took purple carrot strains and gradually mutated them into orange carrots.
Orange carrots may have been preferred over purple ones because of their milder flavor and the fact that they didn't leave permanent stains on cooking utensils.
It has also been suggested that the orange color of carrots was chosen to honor William of Orange, a hero of the Dutch Revolution.
If you're hungry after reading about carrots' history and you happen to have a bag in your fridge, try pickling them, pureeing them for soup, or broiling them as a side dish.