Carrot

Daucus carota subsp. sativus

vegetable · root

A fleshy taproot, most often orange: the most widely grown root vegetable in the world after the potato.

Origin

Afghanistan

Season (United States)

all year round · grows in your region

Preparation

The tops are eaten too, in pesto or soup. A little fat on the plate: beta-carotene is fat-soluble and passes very poorly without it. Its skin is eaten, and that is where its polyphenols sit: worth keeping, then — but under running water, rubbing it, which is what takes off most of what settles there, organic or not.

Molecules

Pectins · Phenolic acids · Beta-carotene (vitamin A) · Falcarinol · Insoluble fibers

Did you know?

The first carrots were purple; orange was selected in the Netherlands in the 17th century.