This is a root vegetable, usually orange in colour, though purple, red, white, and yellow varieties exist. It has a crisp texture when fresh.
The most commonly eaten part of a carrot is a taproot, although the greens are edible as well. It is a domesticated form of the wild carrot Daucus carota, native to Europe and southwestern Asia.
The domestic carrot has been selectively bred for its greatly enlarged and more palatable, less woody-textured edible taproot.
Use:
The sweetness of carrots allows the vegetable to be used in some fruit-like roles. Grated carrots are used in carrot cakes, as well as carrot puddings, an old English dish.
Carrots can also be used alone or with fruits in jam and preserves. Carrot juice is also widely marketed, especially as a health drink, either stand-alone or blended with fruits and other vegetables.
Carrots can be eaten in a variety of ways. Only 3% of the -carotene in raw carrots is released during digestion: this can be improved to 39% by pulping, cooking and adding cooking oil.
Alternatively they may be chopped and boiled, fried or steamed, and cooked in soups and stews, as well as baby and pet foods.
A well known dish is carrots julienne. The greens are edible as a leaf vegetable, but are rarely eaten by humans.
