Early cultivated carrots came in colours such as purple, yellow and white rather than the familiar orange we see today, with purple varieties particularly common in ancient and medieval records and artwork.
History and domestication
Domesticated carrots originated in Central Asia and were grown for their leaves and seeds as well as roots; over centuries breeders produced a range of colours including purple, red, yellow and white before orange types became widespread in Europe.
The Dutch connection
The popular story that orange carrots were developed in the Netherlands in the 17th century as a tribute to the House of Orange has some historical grounding in selective breeding and patriotic promotion, which helped establish orange cultivars as prominent in Europe though the process involved multiple regions and farmers over time.
Modern varieties and nutrition
Today carrots are deliberately grown in a spectrum of colours for flavour, diversity and gardening interest, and the different pigments such as beta‑carotene in orange carrots or anthocyanins in purple varieties provide similar nutritional benefits and antioxidants across colour types.
Quick related facts
- Original colours: purple; yellow; white.
- Rise of orange: popularised in the Netherlands during the 17th century.
- Today: carrots come in many colours and remain nutritious.