Carrots were originally purple not orange

The bright orange carrot is a relatively recent culinary invention dating back about 400 years. Archaeological evidence indicates first domesticated carrots emerged around 900 CE and were predominantly purple or yellowish. These early varieties were thinner and more bitter than modern cultivars. Orange carrot development occurred through selective breeding in the Netherlands during the 1600s. Dutch growers bred orange-pigmented varieties partly for nutrition and partly as patriotic gesture—orange is the Netherlands' national color, associated with the royal House of Orange. From the Netherlands, orange carrots spread throughout Europe and Americas, becoming dominant. Purple and yellow carrots experienced resurgence in recent years as heirloom varieties, revealing forgotten crop diversity.