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Did you know carrots were originally purple, and occasionally, yellow and white? In the late 16th century, Dutch farmers used mutant strains of the heirloom carrot, by crossing yellow and white ones, which gradually developed the common sweet orange carrot we have today.
The purple pigment in heirloom carrots is anthocyanin. Anthocyanins are a type of flavonoid, which give many fruits and vegetables their deep rich colours. They have anti-oxidant effects, and may also have anti-viral, anti-inflammatory, and even cancer-preventing effects.
Some think the reason the orange carrot became so popular in the Netherlands was in tribute to the emblem of the House of Orange and the struggle for Dutch independence. While this is possible, it also might have just been because orange carrots are sweeter and often more plump.
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Erin Janus