The Verse - Volume 19
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Purple Particulars

Guess what? Orange is not the original color of carrots - purple is! The carrot seems to have started in Afghanistan, and what appears to be a purple carrot is featured on Egyptian temple walls dating back more than 4000 years. The purple carrot was the norm in India, Europe, and throughout the Middle East. Then, 400 years ago, patriotic Dutch farmers bred an orange carrot to match their country's color. Today the purple carrot is making a comeback. Besides purple, green, yellow, red, white, and black varieties have been bred. These natural pigments contain healthy nutrients. The "traditional" purple variety tastes sweeter, and is especially rich in antioxidants known as anthocyanins. Marketers and parents know that colorful foods can attract kids. Do you remember artificially colored green catsup? So if you want to get your kids to eat carrots, purple might be the way to go!