Carrots in a range of colours.

The carrot is a root vegetable, usually orange in color, though purple, black, red, white, and yellow cultivars exist. They are a domesticated form of the wild carrot native to Europe and Southwestern Asia. The plant probably originated in Persia and was originally cultivated for its leaves and seeds. The most commonly eaten part of the plant is the taproot, although the stems and leaves are also eaten. The domestic carrot has been selectively bred for its greatly enlarged, more palatable, less woody-textured taproot.

The taproot is the large main root of a plant, from which smaller roots grow.

The carrot is a biennial plant. At first, it grows a rosette of leaves while building up the enlarged taproot. Fast-growing cultivars mature within three months (90 days) of sowing the seed, while slower-maturing cultivars need a month longer (120 days). The roots contain high quantities of alpha- and beta-carotene [胡萝卜素], and are a good source of vitamin K and vitamin B6.

维生素K也称凝血维生素。维生素B6是制造抗体和红细胞的必要物质。

The United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) reports that world production of carrots and turnips (these plants are combined by the FAO) for 2018 was 40 million tonnes, with 45% of the world total grown in China. Carrots are widely used in many cuisines, especially in the preparation of salads, and carrot salads are a tradition in many regional cuisines.

Production of carrots (and turnips) in 2018; Country Production (millions of tonnes)

• China 17.9
• Uzbekistan 2.2
• United States 1.5
• Russia 1.4
• Ukraine 0.8
• World 40

The word is first recorded in English circa 1530 and was borrowed from Middle French carotte, itself from Late Latin carōta, from Greek καρωτόν or karōtón, originally from the Indo-European root *ker- (horn), due to its horn-like shape. In Old English, carrots (typically white at the time) were not clearly distinguished from parsnips. A parsnip is a long cream-coloured root vegetable.

Carrots can be stored for several months in the refrigerator or over winter in a moist, cool place. For long term storage, unwashed carrots can be placed in a bucket between layers of sand, a 50/50 mix of sand and wood shavings, or in soil. A temperature range of 0 to 4 °C (32 to 40 °F) is best.

Carrots can be eaten in a variety of ways. Only 3 percent of the β-carotene in raw carrots is released during digestion: this can be improved to 39% by pulping, cooking and adding cooking oil. Alternatively they may be chopped and boiled, fried or steamed, and cooked in soups and stews, as well as baby and pet foods. A well-known dish is carrots julienne [food that has been cut into thin strips]. Together with onion and celery, carrots are one of the primary vegetables used in a mirepoix [蔬菜配料] to make various broths. Mirepoix也是地名：(法国)米尔普瓦。听起来像方便面蔬菜包，法国美食就是个这？白象方便面的汤包超级大。

The greens are edible as a leaf vegetable, but are rarely eaten by humans; some sources suggest that the greens contain toxic alkaloids [生物碱]. When used for this purpose, they are harvested young in high-density plantings, before significant root development, and typically used stir-fried, or in salads. Some people are allergic to carrots. In a 2010 study on the prevalence of food allergies in Europe, 3.6 percent of young adults showed some degree of sensitivity to carrots.

Something that is alkaline contains an alkali or has a pH value of more than 7. ≠acidic

六级/考研单词: vegetation, purple, indigenous, probable, cultivate, stem, enlarge, mature, sow, vitamin, unite, million, cuisine, horn, refrigerator, moist, shave, digest, alternate, chop, fry, pet, onion, edible, seldom, toxic, harvest, prevail