Guide Note

The carrot is a root vegetable in the family Apiaciae, which includes parsnips, celery, parsley, fennel, and cilantro, as well as various spices such as cumin, dill, and cilantro seed or coriander. It is a heavily-bred subspecies of the wild carrot, which is often encountered as the wildflower, Queen Anne's Lace.

Until the Middle Ages, the carrot plant was bred for its aromatic foliage, and its early use as a root crop included purple, red, and yellow varieties now known only as heirloom vegetables. The familiar orange carrot appeared in Europe in the 1600s, and took over virtually all commercial-scale carrot production by the early-mid 20th Century.

Carrots are eaten raw, often as snacks or in salads, but are more often cooked, especially as a low-key but ubiquitous ingredient in stocks such as mirepoix, and in soups and stews. They are often served separately as an accompaniment to meat, especially one-pot beef roasts, in which they are broiled or roasted, typically with potatoes and/or onions, in the meat's juices. Other traditional applications include peas and carrots, and glazed carrots, in which they are lightly candied. The inexpensiveness of carrots has also led to wide use as a generic vegetable ingredient in such diverse cuisines as American Chinese (i.e. 'takeout' or 'yellow-awning' Chinese), and American Italian (i.e. 'mid-American' or 'ketchup-and-noodle' Italian), in which they contribute a variety of hue to the celery, onions, and cabbage that otherwise span the diversity of the world's edible vegetables.

Fast Facts

1. The orange variety is rich in carotene, a precursor to Vitamin A
2. High in Vitamin K
3. Can be eaten cooked, raw or juiced
4. Possible origin: Afghanistan
5. The wild carrot, Daucus carota, is widely naturalized in Europe, Asia, and the New World
6. Variations include orange, white, purple, and red