The natural color of carrots is purplish.
While most carrots you see in grocery stores today are bright orange, this is the result of historical genetic modification. According to historical accounts, carrots were naturally a purplish colour before being bred to be orange.
The Natural Color of Carrots
Before selective breeding focused on creating the familiar orange variety, wild carrots, and early cultivated carrots, primarily displayed a purplish hue. This original color is attributed to pigments called anthocyanins, which are also found in foods like blueberries and purple cabbage.
- Natural State: Purplish
- Pigments: Anthocyanins
The Evolution to Orange Carrots
The dominance of the orange carrot variety is a result of human cultivation and selection. As the provided reference notes, carrots were genetically modified to be orange in homage to the House of Orange. This shift occurred in the Netherlands around the 17th century, linking the vegetable's color to the Dutch royal family.
While the reference expresses amusement regarding the motivation ("why the gardener responsible thought that the Dutch royal family would be flattered by their newly established relationship with a root vegetable"), this historical development solidified the orange carrot as the most common type globally. The orange color comes from beta-carotene, a different pigment, which also gives them their high Vitamin A content.
Today, while orange carrots are ubiquitous, you can still find heirloom and specialty varieties in colors closer to their original state, including purple, as well as white, yellow, and red. However, based on their natural, unmodified state, their true color was purplish.
| Characteristic | Natural Carrot | Common Cultivated Carrot |
|---|---|---|
| Primary Color | Purplish | Orange |
| Dominant Pigment | Anthocyanins | Beta-carotene |
| Historical Context | Original state | Bred for color (House of Orange) |
