Carrots: Enjoyed By Kids of All Ages
by Steve Peters

Origin & History
The bright orange, sweet, and succulent carrot root that is grown and loved throughout the world is a far cry from its wild ancestor. Queen Anne's Lace (Daucus carota subsp. carota) is a small, woody, bitter root that is marginally edible, although the vegetative plant and flowers are quite similar to the cultivated carrot. Seeds of the wild carrot were found in European caves about 5,000 years ago, but it is unknown how these seeds or any other parts of the plant were used at that time. There are also vague references to carrot-like plants called staphylinos by the Greeks and pastinaca by the Romans more than 2,000 years ago, although these were probably genetically related plants, either parsnips (Pastinaca sativa) or skirret (Sium sisarium). The first actual written record that mentions carrots was around AD 1000, and comes from Arab merchants who brought carrots from Afghanistan into North Africa, then Spain, and eventually the rest of Europe.

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The roots came in a variety of hues, usually purple or yellow, and sometimes white, but never orange! The purple carrots were described as tasty and juicy, while the yellow ones were coarser and inferior in flavor. By the 13th century, carrots were grown in Germany and France. They were also cultivated at this time in India, China, and other regions east of their Central Asian origin. The European varieties were strongly biennial like the wild carrot (i.e., they required two years to produce seed) and were adapted to Mediterranean and temperate maritime-type climates. In contrast, the Indian and Chinese varieties were annuals (i.e., seed production in one year) and more adapted to tropical and subtropical environments.

The very first references to orange carrots were actually not written descriptions, but depictions in domestic scenes by some of the Northern European painting masters of the late 1500s. The carrots in these paintings were pale orange in color, but nevertheless orange, and clearly a departure from the common purple and yellow types. Throughout the 1600s, orange carrots became the preferred kind, while all other colors dropped out of favor, although there is no clear explanation for this phenomenon. The most obvious reason would seem to be that orange carrots have a superior flavor, but there is no proof of this. In fact, color and flavor traits are not genetically linked, and the only reason that orange carrots today are better tasting than other kinds is that they have essentially been the only ones grown and improved upon for the past 350 years. Perhaps more significant is that the color orange stood out more dramatically than other colors in the drab grayness of autumn when they were being harvested, and hence were more often replanted to produce the next year's seed crop. By the 1700s the Dutch dominated carrot breeding and genetic improvement, with the premier varieties being Early Half Long, Late Half Long, Scarlet Horn, and Long Orange. These early selections are the progenitors of most modern varieties and to this day, the Dutch continue to be the world leaders in carrot development.

Description & Varieties
The carrot (Daucus carota var. sativus) is a member of the Apiaceae plant family, which also includes dill, parsley, cilantro, celery, parsnip, fennel, and lovage. Formerly known as the Umbelliferae family, all of these plants produce multiple tiny flowers on a stalk that resembles an umbrella. There have been about sixty species of Daucus described worldwide, most of which have never been cultivated. The carrot is a biennial because it requires two years to form a flower stalk and produce mature seed, although it is primarily grown as an annual for its fleshy taproot, which accumulates starches and sugars.

Carrot varieties can be grouped into four major categories according to their shape and length:

1. Nantes: These roots are medium long (5–8 in.), slender (~ 1¼ in.), and cylindrical with rounded tips. Good examples include Scarlet Nantes and Nantes Coreless.
2. Chantenay: These roots are short-medium long (3–6 in.) with broad shoulders (~ 2 in.) and taper to a blunt tip. Good examples include Red Core Chantenay and Kurota Chantenay.
3. Imperator: These roots are long (8–14 in.) with slender shoulders (~ 1½ in.) that taper slightly to a pointed tip. A good example is the Japanese Imperial Long.
4. Danvers: These roots are medium long (6–10 in.) with broad shoulders (~ 2 in.) that taper to a distinctly pointed tip. Good examples are Scarlet Keeper and St. Valery.