I heard that carrots were not originally orange, but were dyed that colour by Dutch farmers.?

Question

This was way,way, back in time. Apparently they were only grown in The Netherlands then and the farmers dyed them Orange, which seems to be the Dutch national colour.

Is there any truth in this ? ?

Answer 1

carrots were white or purplish in medieval times - then- the orange ones came from afghanistan - no its not dye

Answer 2

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, in another burst of patriotism, Dutch farmers bred an orange carrot to match their country’s color. Today the purple carrot is making a comeback, and 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 anthocyanins, which also act as antioxidants.

Answer 3

i dont think you can dye an carrot and it keeps that color when others grow....thats not possbile

thats like dying an Apple Black and yrs later all Apples are black

Answer 4

no they are not dyed!

Answer 5

NO I DON'T THINK SO CAUSE IN SOUTH AMERICA THEY ARE ALL ORANGE,ALWAYS.

Answer 6

Wild carrots which the carrots we eat were eventually bred from, were white and still are.  Just as potatoes come in many colors, so do carrots.  It's all a matter of preference and breeding.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carrots

Answer 7

Carrots are orange because of the high amount of carotene in them. I'm not sure if they were ever any other color. So, I can't help you on that part. Best of luck finding the answer to that.

Answer 8

I doubt it unless they go around the world and dye each and every one like the elves and the shoemaker!

Answer 9

True, but dyed is the wrong word. hybrid is more the correct term.