Carrot

The carrot had a very long history before it became the carrot we know today.

It appears it was the Moors who brought it to Europe via Spain in the 8th century, and from there it spread through Europe. The first carrots the Moors brought was purple.

The carrots were originally grown for their seeds and the leaves. There have been found carrot seeds in and Southern Germany and Switzerland dating back to 2000 – 3000 BC.

The original wild carrot was more bitter and had a bigger woody core, than the carrot we known today have. Constantly selective breeding over the centuries has taken the carrot to the one we know today.

The carrot, as we know it today, is from around the 10th century, and are believed to come from Afghanistan. In the 11th century, the scholar Simeon Seth describe both yellow and red carrots.

The European brought the carrot with them to America in the 17th century.

The nutrient fact, below, is based on 100 gram of raw Carrot.

Vitamins

Vitamin C, total ascorbic acid mg 5.9
Thiamin mg 0.066
Riboflavin mg 0.058
Niacin mg 0.983
Vitamin B-6 mg 0.138
Folate, DFE µg 19
Vitamin B-12 µg 0
Vitamin A, RAE µg 835
Vitamin A, IU IU 16706
Vitamin E (alpha-tocopherol) mg 0.66
Vitamin D (D2 + D3) µg 0
Vitamin D IU 0
Vitamin K (phylloquinone) µg 13.2

Lipids

Fatty acids, total saturated g 0.037
Fatty acids, total monounsaturated g 0.014
Fatty acids, total polyunsaturated g 0.117
Fatty acids, total trans g 0
Cholesterol mg 0

Proximates

Water g 88.29
Energy kcal 41
Protein g 0.93
Total lipid (fat) g 0.24
Carbohydrate, by difference g 9.58
Fiber, total dietary g 2.8
Sugars, total g 4.74

Minerals

Calcium, Ca mg 33
Iron, Fe mg 0.3
Magnesium, Mg mg 12
Phosphorus, P mg 35
Potassium, K mg 320
Sodium, Na mg 69
Zinc, Zn mg 0.24