What do you know about carrots? Besides the fact that it is added to soup and pilaf, and it is also recommended to eat it for eye health?
Want to know her story?
Where are the roots from?
Such a familiar, orange carrot can be found in any kitchen. And for sure in any part of the world. But such carrots were not always.
The story of our today's main character - carrots, begins very far and long ago.
She appeared from Ancient Asia. Presumably came to our food from Afghanistan or Iran.
It was there, about 4,000 years ago, that carrots were domesticated and grown at home. Before that, carrots were found, as now, in some areas of the Earth, like a wild thin root.
By the way, initially the roots of carrots were so small that they were not eaten.
Carrots were grown for their aromatic green tops and seeds.
Yes, carrots are actually a spicy plant. Like parsley or parsnips.
And at all times, carrots were also considered a medicine, but not for the eyes. More on this later.
Do they eat carrots or not?
For the first time, the root of carrots began to be eaten or added to food itself, around the first century AD.
It is interesting that carrots were first grown as a root crop in China, Japan and then in India. But this happened only in the 13th century.
In ancient Russia, carrots were placed next to the deceased at burial. It was believed that she served as food in the next world.
But carrots came to North America only in 1607, and then our miracle vegetable was not appreciated at all. For a long time, pigs were fed there carrots. But suddenly the third President of the United States, Thomas Jefferson, a big carrot lover, managed to grow as many as 18 varieties of carrots in his garden.
This meant - the onset of the finest hour for carrots, and after that she firmly entered the cooking of many nations.
Types of carrots
Surprisingly, when the word "carrot", everyone imagines an orange root vegetable. However, the color of modern carrots is the result of long-term selection. Until the 17th century, there were no orange carrots at all, from the word - at all.
The very first carrots were white (like parsley root) and purple (like beets). Variations of red and yellow carrots later appeared.
Russian scientist Nikolai Vavilov argued that the homeland of white and purple carrots is Afghanistan, yellow - China, but red first grew in the Mediterranean.
Important!
The modern orange carrot, familiar to us, was bred in the Netherlands in the 17th century, and this event has connections with the royal dynasty of Orange. Since, exactly, orange was considered their family color.
William of Orange made Holland independent, and therefore, in honor of him, the agronomists of that time made the carrot roots orange.
What are the health benefits of carrots?
To begin with, carrots do not make medicines. Is that only carrot seed oil. But there is a different story. We have roots.
So how do carrots help health?
With regular consumption, scientists have noticed that many people experience improved cardiovascular and digestive health.
Vitamin K1 in carrots increases bone mineral density and prevents blood clots in blood vessels.
This means that carrots are a good prevention of osteoporosis, and yes, they are good for improving vision.
Fact! Those peoples that constantly cook dishes from carrots (stew, fry, bake, make baked goods and soups from it) live longer.
Conclusions: carrots deserve to be more often on our table and not only in soup.
Take care of yourself and do not get sick!
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Thanks for reading to the end!