What was the original color of carrots?

Recognizable by its taste, various health benefits, and color, orange carrots are an everyday favorite vegetable of many. Now, this might surprise you and perhaps cause some trust issues but carrots are not originally orange. If you are ready to move on, let’s find out about orange carrots history and who, what, and where stands behind this.

What was the original color of carrots?

The first domesticated carrots (Daucus carota) are believed to have been purple, with roots rich in anthocyanins. 

What does William of Orange have to do with orange carrots?

There is an anecdote, that is not backed up by history literature, that Dutch farmers selectively bred orange carrots to honor William of Orange, the leader of the Dutch revolt against Spain and later the King of England, Scotland, and Ireland. 

What does science say?

According to the study, cultivated carrots originally appeared in purple and yellow colors in a region spanning from Western to Central Asia during the Early Middle Ages. The shift toward orange carrots happened much later, likely during the Renaissance in Western Europe, where selective breeding favored high α- and β-carotene content—the molecules responsible for the orange color.  This study helps confirm that the orange carrot is a relatively recent development in agriculture, and it was bred by humans selectively, but probably not because of some king but because farmers thought orange was more suitable for carrot. Furthermore this sort of carrot had better taste and was most appealing which was a big plus for commercial purposes.

Why are carrots orange?

Carrots are orange due to the presence of a pigment called beta-caroten which belongs to a group of compounds called carotenoids. 

Carotenoids are pigments that are naturally present in plants because they produce them. Along with plants, algae and some bacteria, archaea and fungi also produce these pigments. They come in yellow, orange and red.

The transformation from purple and yellow to orange was made possible by three recessive genes—REC, Or, and Y2—which influenced accumulation of carotenoid, photosynthesis and development of chloroplasts. Over time, as farmers continued selecting for orange carrots, genetic diversity decreased, meaning modern orange carrots are more uniform but trace their origins to much more colorful ancestors. 

Does the Color of Carrots Influence Their Benefits?

This study explored how the color of tropical carrots (black, rainbow, orange, red, and yellow) impacts  their phytochemical content and antioxidant activity. Black carrots stood out with the highest levels of phenolics, flavonoids, and antioxidant properties, while orange and red carrots, the most consumed types, had more carotenoids but lower antioxidant activity. So, according to this research, it seems that the color of a carrot does define its potential health benefits so maybe next time try to mix it up with consuming black carrots. 

Phytochemical content represents chemicals produced by plants (‘phyto’ refers to plant) and usually they go under: polyphenolic compounds, flavonoids, tannins etc.

While no definitive historical document confirms that the orange carrot was “made” for William of Orange, it is acknowledged that Dutch farmers played a key role in cultivating the orange carrot as we know it and enjoy it today!