Carrots, botanically classified as Daucus carota subs. sativus, are slender, edible, underground taproots that grow frilly leaves in a rosette pattern and belong to the Apiaceae family along with celery, parsnips, and parsley. Labeled as a root vegetable, there are many different varieties of Carrots found in a wide array of colors that are harvested at multiple stages of maturity for commercial sale. Carrots have been cultivated since ancient times and were deeply rooted in the diets and traditional medicine of Asian and European cultures. Despite our familiarity today with the brightorange variety, orange carrots did not arrive into the commercial marketplace until the16th and 17th centuries. Carrots are an excellent source of vitamin A, which can helpprevent vision loss, vitamin C to protect the body from sickness, and fiber to assist withdigestion. The roots also contain some vitamin K, magnesium, calcium, folate, and potassium.
