No wonder I don’t like carrots, they are from the same family as coriander!

Audit expert: Shi Jun

Doctor of Botany, well-known popular science writer

Speaking of radishes, the first two types of radishes that come to mind are the orange and white ones we often eat. Both are vegetables that are deeply loved by people. White radish soup has a sweet taste, and stir-fried carrots with shredded carrots and meat is also a delicious home-cooked dish.

But it wasn't until I chatted with a friend a few days ago that I accidentally discovered that some people actually think that carrots and white radishes are the same type of plant! Is this really the case? Let's study it today.

Source: pixabay

1

Carrots are not radishes

Although both are called "radish", these two vegetables have no taxonomic connection. They do not belong to the same family . Even the pleasing orange-red color of carrots is not innate, but the result of a long period of selection and cultivation by humans.

Although carrot is also called radish, it has little to do with the real "radish" such as white radish, red radish, green radish, etc. The latter radishes belong to the order Cruciferae, family Cruciferae, genus Raphanus, while carrots belong to the order Apiaceae, family Apiaceae, genus Daucus. In terms of relationship, carrots are more closely related to spices such as coriander and fennel, which also belong to the family Apiaceae .

In fact, if you pay attention to the leaves of carrots and radishes, it is easy to find the difference between the two - the leaves of radishes are distributed more like cabbage, with broad leaves, while the leaves of carrots are more like celery or coriander, with many small leaves scattered on a stem.

In addition, carrots have a special aroma compared to radishes. This taste comes from the terpene compounds they contain . Just like coriander, not everyone likes it.

Source: Wikipedia/Bi-frie

Carrot (Daucus carota sativa) originated in the Near East and Central Asia, namely Afghanistan in southwestern Asia.

According to historical data, carrots were introduced into my country no later than the 12th century, and have since gradually become a common vegetable in my country. Carrots can be prepared in many ways, not only can they be eaten raw, but can also be used to stir-fry meat or stew soup.

Carrots are loved by people for their sweet and crisp taste. The rich aroma and slightly sweet taste they contain make them perfect for making soup. The pork ribs soup made with carrots and sweet corn is not only fresh and rich, but also has a hint of sweetness, which is very delicious.

2

Carrots were not originally orange

The sweet taste and pleasing orange-red color of carrots are not innate, but are the result of human intervention . In fact, not only carrots, but almost all the vegetables and fruits we eat now have been artificially selected.

Before breeding, the wild species of these vegetables either had small fruits or tasted bad, and the same was true for carrots. Wild species of carrots are also called wild carrots. The tubers buried underground are small and mostly white or light yellow in color . Because they have an aroma after being chopped, they were originally used as spices. After that, humans began to breed carrots and finally successfully cultivated them into a vegetable.

The carrots that were originally bred as vegetables were yellow, purple, and red , and were distributed in different regions. The people in each region liked different types of carrots. Oriental people preferred purple carrots.

Source: Wikipedia

Regarding the orange carrots that we often see today, there is a saying that Dutch farmers have already started breeding orange carrots in the 16th century. The reason they did this is very simple. Orange is a color that the Dutch royal family particularly loves. This comes from the title of the Dutch founding father, William I (Willem van Oranje in Dutch), Prince of Orange.

However, although carrots were successfully bred to be orange, there is no documentation to indicate that they bred orange carrots in honor of William I. Even according to Spanish documents, European farmers had already begun to grow carrots 200 years before William led the Dutch independence movement.

After a long period of breeding, orange carrots were cultivated and have since become popular around the world, gradually evolving into the classic image of carrots.

Of course, orange carrots would not have become popular all over the world just because of their bright and novel appearance. This was mainly due to the Netherlands' strong trade position at the time and the Dutch farmers' excellent planting techniques. The orange carrots that were bred not only tasted better but also had a higher yield. Therefore, they gradually replaced carrots of other colors and became a vegetable that was popular all over the world.

3

Nutritional value of carrots

In addition to their bright appearance and sweet taste, carrots also have high nutritional value.

Carrots are rich in carotene. After entering the human body, carotene will be converted into vitamin A under the action of enzymes in the body . Vitamin A plays an important role in maintaining human health. If the human body lacks vitamin A, growth retardation, dry skin, night blindness, and even blindness will occur. Vitamin A can promote the normal growth and development of human bones, which is very important for adolescents who are in the growth stage and developing infants.

Ball-and-stick model of vitamin A Source: Wikipedia

Vitamin A is also found in various dark yellow and dark green vegetables and fruits. Animal liver and egg yolks also contain more vitamin A. If you really don’t like carrots, these foods can also serve as suitable sources of vitamin A. A normal person needs to consume about 700 μg of vitamin A per day.

In addition, carrots are rich in cellulose , which has good water absorption, can absorb toxins, limit sugar absorption, promote intestinal peristalsis, and ensure normal gastrointestinal function of the human body.

Not only carrots, almost all foods that appear on people's tables today, various cute pets, and even ornamental flowers and landscape plants have been domesticated and bred by humans.

In fact, for people like us who live almost entirely in human society, it is quite difficult to eat or see completely "natural" food.