Eli5: why are carrots orange? I know originally they were another colour, so why orange now
In: Biology
It was the Dutch who first made orange carrots in the 16th century. Beta carotene is the pigment in modern carrots that make them orange. All carrots have some beta carotene, and the Dutch farmers selectively bred the yellow variety of carrots to increase the amount of beta carotene in them until they became orange. These orange carrots are now the predominant variety, although you can still buy yellow and purple ones.
The popular story is that the Dutch created orange carrots to honor their royal family, the House of Orange, but there’s little historical evidence to back this up. What’s more likely is that the new orange variety simply tasted better than the yellow or purple versions, and gained its popularity that way.
Latest Answers