![]() In 35 BC, the Romans founded a town in Southern France which they named Arausio. (Photo Credit: Flickr user Gnikrj via Creative Commons) Carrots are orange because a famous guy came from a town named Orange In the Canterbury Tales, Chaucer writes of a person who has a complexion “between a red and a yellow.” Presumably, he would have used the word orange, if it had been available to him.) ![]() (In fact, linguists think that the color orange was named for the fruit, not the other way around. Over time, the fruit tree migrated to India, where it was valued for and named naranga after its rich aroma.Įventually the naranga traveled west to Persia, where its name was shortened to narang. When the fruit arrived in France, its name evolved again, from un naranj, to un aranj, which ultimately became the very familiar orange. You can read the full story here, but the short version is that today’s citrus fruit is descended from a citrus tree that first appeared in China about 20 million years ago. Carrots are orange because oranges are orangeīefore the 17th century, most carrots were purple, white, or yellow. The more interesting historical answer involves a fruit, the Eighty Years’ War, and a small town in Southern France. Our bodies convert beta-carotene into Vitamin A, a mineral that our bodies use to keep our skin, immune system, and eyes healthy. Beta-carotene is a yellow/orange pigment that helps create the rich colors of many fruits and vegetables like apricots, peppers, carrots, pumpkins, and sweet potatoes. The scientific answer is that orange carrots have more beta-carotene in them. But seeing the white, purple, and orange medley on my plate reminded her mind of an old question. The Eight-Year-Old knew from previous dining experiences at Sweet Tomatoes that purple carrots are possible, even without the magic of food coloring. The carrots ended up being a mix of white, purple, and orange. I ordered the pork chops (yum!) with a side of roasted carrots. The latest example was just over the weekend, when Daddyo took us to the Grand Lux Cafe in downtown Chicago for dinner. Lately, The Eight-Year-Old and I have been noticing purple carrots popping up all over Chicago.
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