The history of carrots. Big carrot A story about carrots for children

And now I will tell you a story about the largest carrot in the world. You, of course, have already heard about it more than once, but, in my opinion, it was still like that.

Once a peasant planted carrots in his garden and began to take care of them: watered them, pulled out the weeds - in a word, he did everything as expected. When the time came, I began to harvest - pulling carrots out of the ground. And suddenly he came across a particularly large carrot. He pulls and pulls, but cannot pull it out. He tries this way and that, but he can’t! Finally, I couldn’t stand it anymore and called my wife:

- Giuseppina!

-What happened, Oreste?

- Come here! I got such a carrot... It never wants to get out of the ground! Go take a look...

- Indeed, what a huge one!

- Let's do this: I'll pull the carrot, and you pull my jacket. Are you ready? Have taken! More more! Pull!

“I’d better pull your hand, otherwise your jacket will tear.”

- Give me your hand. Well, stronger! No, I can’t pull it off! Call your son, otherwise I’m already completely exhausted...

- Romeo! Romeo! - Giuseppina calls.

- What happened, mom?

- Come here! Hurry up!

- But I do my homework.

– You’ll do it later, but now help! Look, this carrot just doesn’t want to come out of the ground. I will pull my father by one hand, and you by the other, and he himself will pull the carrot. Maybe we can pull it off like this...

Oreste spat on his hands, rubbed his hands, and gathered his strength.

- Are you ready? One-two! Have taken! Pull! Well again! More! No, nothing works...

“This must be the biggest carrot in the world,” Giuseppina decided.

- We need to call grandpa for help! - Romeo suggested.

- Well, call me! – the father agreed. “I can’t do it alone.”

- Grandfather! Grandfather! Come here! Hurry up!

- I’m in a hurry, dear, I’m in a hurry!... But it’s not easy for me... At your age, I also ran fast, but now... What happened?

Grandfather came running out of breath and already tired.

“Here we grew the biggest carrot in the world,” Romeo explained. “The three of us can’t pull it off.” Can you help?

- How not to help, dear!

“Let’s do this,” said Romeo. - You pull me, mom and I will pull dad, and he will pull the carrot... If we don’t pull it this time...

“Okay,” grandfather agreed, “just wait...

- Yes, I’ll put the phone aside. You can't do two things at once. You have to either smoke or work, right?

- Well, let's start! - said Oreste. - Is everyone ready? One-two! Have taken! Again! Again! Have taken!

- Oh, help!

- What happened, grandfather?

- Don't you see - he fell! Slipped and fell. And besides, right on the phone...

The poor old man even burned his pants.

“No, it won’t work out that way,” Oreste decided. - Romeo, come on, run to Andrea and call him for help.

“Let him then come with his wife and son - the whole family,” Romeo suggested.

“And that’s true,” the father agreed. - Wow, what a carrot!... You could even report this to the newspaper.

- Maybe we can call television? – Giuseppina suggested. But no one supported her.

“Television...” Oreste grumbled. - We’d better call the neighbors and get her out first...

In short, Andrea came, his wife came, their son came, although he was still very small - a five-year-old boy, so he didn’t have much strength...

Meanwhile, the whole village had already heard about the big carrot. Joking and talking, people flocked to the garden.

“It’s not a carrot at all,” someone said, “there’s a whale sitting here!”

- Whales are swimming in the sea!

- Not all! I saw one at the fair...

- I saw it in a book...

People egged each other on:

“Come on, try it too, Girolamo, you’re our strong man!”

– I don’t like carrots! I prefer potatoes.

- And I’m meatballs!

They pull and pull with jokes and jokes, but they can’t pull it out. The sun is already setting...

First end

But you still can’t pull out the carrot!

The whole village came to help, not to pull him out!

People from neighboring villages gathered - absolutely nothing!

People came from distant villages, but the carrots were nowhere to be seen.

In the end, they discovered that a large carrot had sprouted across the entire globe, and on the opposite side of the Earth another peasant was pulling it, and the whole village was also helping him. So it turned out like a tug of war, and apparently there will never be an end to it.

Second end

The sun is already setting, but they keep dragging on and on. Finally pulled it out! Only not a carrot at all, but a pumpkin. And seven dwarf shoemakers sit in it and sew shoes.

- What is it? - the gnomes got angry. – Why on earth are you taking away our house and our workshop from us?! Come on, put the pumpkin back in the ground!

People got scared and ran away. Everyone ran away except grandfather. He asked the gnomes:

- Do you have any matches? My phone went out. Grandfather made friends with the gnomes.

“I would love,” said grandfather, “to move to live with you in your pumpkin.” Is there room for me there too?

Romeo heard this and shouted from afar:

- If you go there, grandfather, then I want too! And Giuseppina shouted:

- Romeo, son, I'm behind you!

And Oreste shouted:

- Giuseppina, what would I do without you?!

The gnomes got angry and disappeared underground along with their pumpkin.

Third end

They pull, they pull... A lot of people have gathered, which means there are a lot of forces. And then the carrot comes out - slowly, centimeter by centimeter, but it comes out of the ground. And she turned out to be so big! It took twenty-seven trucks and one tricycle to take her to the market.

There is no task that people cannot do if they all take it on together and work together and cheerfully.

Enlarge text

Carrots are one of the most popular, healthy and delicious vegetables. I eat it or use it in folk and traditional medicine. It contains few calories, but nevertheless it is very healthy. It consists of 87% water. It also contains carotene, which is processed in the body into vitamin A. Carrots are grown in regions with a temperate climate. We got it thanks to wild varieties, whose fruits were not orange at all. Scientists say that carrots used to be purple or yellow.

History of carrots

In addition to the beneficial substances it contains, carrots are also famous for their interesting history. Evidence of eating carrots was found in Switzerland, where ancient man lived.

In the drawings of the temple in Luxor back in the 2nd millennium BC. We found purple carrots. And in the place where Pharaoh was buried, they found papers in which they write about treatment with carrots. Scientists claim that the first carrots appeared in Afghanistan, where they were of other colors.

Carrots were also produced in Ancient Greece, but they called them “the bearer of love” and believed that they helped a person to be kind and loving.

Hippocrates once argued that women need to eat a lot of carrots so as not to get pregnant. Nowadays, scientists decided to test this guess and found that women, eating carrots after making love, prevent conception.

China, Japan, and India have been engaged in this culture since the 13th century. In the 16th century they began to produce the already familiar orange carrots, which appeared thanks to Dutch producers.

In England, this culture became known parallel to the beginning of the reign of Elizabeth I. Nowadays, carrots are considered one of the most common and consumed vegetables. In 1814, 18 of its varieties were already known, which were created by Thomas Jefferson.

• in the 17th century, the British used carrots not only for culinary and medicinal purposes, but also for decorative purposes: girls used them to decorate their hats
• carrots are in second place in popularity after potatoes
• orange carrots were bred for the Royal Family because it was their favorite color
• For the first time, carotene was extracted from carrots, and from it came the name “carrot” that we know, which in Latin sounds like “carota”
• carrots are healthy raw, boiled, fried
• Excessive consumption of this vegetable provokes yellowing of the skin. This is used to preserve the natural red color of animals.
• there is a story that during World War II, representatives of England covered up the development of their night fighters by talking about a carrot diet, which improves their eyesight and allows them to see well at night
• In the USA, every year they organize a festival in honor of carrots, where they choose the queen of carrots
• You can also eat carrot tops. It is no less useful than root vegetables
• The longest carrot in the world is about 6 m long, created by a British farmer
• The largest weight of one carrot was recorded - 8.5 kg, grown in Alaska
• In Europe, carrots are mistaken for a fruit because they make sweets from them.
• carrots can clean enamel and prevent diseases of teeth and gums
• the vegetable is useful for pregnant women, but in small quantities (about 100 g per day)
• in Germany they prepare aromatic and invigorating coffee from carrots
• carrot sauce is considered a delicacy
• Carrots are often used together with honey as a medicine for diseases.
• Smokers are not recommended to eat carrots, because... the combination of nicotine and carrot substances in the body can cause lung cancer; for non-smokers – on the contrary – prevents tumors and lung cancer

Carrots are a garden plant, a root vegetable with an orange, sweetish, thickened root. Senorita Carrot is a tall, slender lady in an orange raincoat, with green, curly hair.

There are about 60 types of carrots. The ancient Greeks and Romans introduced us to this culture. Since the 14th century, carrots have been grown in Rus'. The roots of this beloved plant are rich in carotene, which is necessary for the growth of children, good vision, and the normal condition of the skin and mucous membranes.

We are used to the orange color of carrots. But it can also be yellow, white, purple. And in shape - in the form of a cone or cylinder. If we eat fresh grated carrots daily, we will strengthen the body and increase its resistance to infections.

In life we ​​often say: “Keep your tail like a carrot!”, which means: be cheerful, don’t be timid. There is another humorous expression: “Until the carrot’s plot,” which means: indefinitely, until a time that may never come.

Riddles about carrots

She sits in prison herself,
The scythe above is frolicking.
Answer: carrot

Two apples in moss
Yes, there's a carrot at the top.
Answer: eyes and nose

Carrot pancakes for children

Grate thoroughly washed carrots on a coarse grater. You can do it another way. Pass the carrots through a juicer, drink carrot juice with your child, adding milk to it, and use the squeezed solid mass as carrot raw materials.

Add egg and flour to this mass (the second option is two or three tablespoons of milk), add salt and mix. Bake like regular pancakes. Serve warm, with sour cream.

Ingredients: carrots - two large pieces, egg - one raw egg, 2 tablespoons of flour

"The Song of Six Pence"

Gave me sixpence, six shiny pence
They gave me six fine pence today.
I bought some pins from the shop with two pence,
And I brought four pence to my wife.
Ah, fourpence, all fourpence,
They gave me all four pence in change.
For two I bought carrots from a merchant,
I brought my last two pence to my wife...

The history of the appearance of carrots is quite unusual - the first time a person tried them, oddly enough, was thanks to a horse that was chewing an unknown purple plant. The ancient man, seeing this, became interested and decided to try this root vegetable himself. Having appreciated the taste of carrots, he dug up more based on the shape of the leaves and shared his find with his fellow tribesmen. That's how people learned about carrots.

Composition and benefits of purple carrots

Purple carrots are simply a storehouse of various macro- and microelements. It contains vitamins of group B (B1, B2, B5, B6, B9), A, PP, C, K, beta-carotene, E, H, mono- and disaccharides, starch, as well as calcium, aluminum, magnesium, sodium , potassium, phosphorus, chlorine, sulfur, iron, zinc, iodine, copper, manganese, selenium, chromium, vanadium, fluorine, molybdenum, boron, vanadium, copper, manganese, cobalt, lithium, aluminum, nickel.

Thanks to this vitamin and mineral set, purple carrots are simply irreplaceable for, for example, pregnant and nursing mothers, so that their baby develops properly and grows healthy and strong.

Beta-carotene, as well as carrots in general, is recommended for girls who want to maintain the youth and elasticity of their skin for a long time. In addition, purple carrots contain almost twice as much beta-carotene as our usual orange carrots.

Selenium, in combination with vitamins C and E, serves as an invaluable aid in the fight against various inflammatory processes that occur in the human body. Purple carrots also have antibacterial effects.

Carrots are an aphrodisiac

Purple carrots have long been considered an aphrodisiac. Even medieval men noted its beneficial effect on male nature, the ability to restore strength lost in love pleasures.

Carrots are an aphrodisiac not only for men, but also for women, since regular consumption of this juicy root vegetable of the celery family (by the way, read about celery as an aphrodisiac) normalizes the functioning of the cardiovascular system, as well as the circulatory system, which has the best effect on a bright, full unforgettable impressions, sexual life of both partners. And beta-carotene, contained in large quantities in purple carrots, has a rejuvenating effect on the skin, which is very important for women trying to be charming and sexually attractive at any age.

Carrots: origin story

Most of us are accustomed to thinking that in nature there are only orange carrots. However, I want to dispel this myth and tell you the true story of carrots. In fact, carrots were originally purple by nature. Purple carrots are not the result of genetic engineering or the ravings of a madman. According to the results of numerous archaeological studies, humanity began to grow purple carrots 2000 BC. Based on discovered rock paintings and excavations, archaeologists concluded that initially carrots were exclusively purple in color.

History confirms this fact. According to historians, purple carrots began to spread around the world from Central Asia, where Afghanistan is now located, about five thousand years ago towards the Mediterranean. Drawings found in the pyramids and temples of Egypt indicate that the ancient Egyptians used carrots. Purple carrots also left their mark in Ancient Rome - a recipe book written by a certain Roman Gavius ​​Marcus, which contains some recipes for preparing this undoubtedly healthy vegetable, has survived to this day. Purple carrot seeds have also been found in ancient dwellings in England and Switzerland. Until the 16th century AD, carrots were classified as delicacies. However, Europeans, or rather the Dutch, already in the 17th century began growing and experimenting with the selection of purple carrots - this is how the world learned about a new variety of carrots - orange, and gradually began to forget about purple. It is worth noting that in German and French cuisine there are still carrot sauces that are considered delicacies.

The history of carrots on Russian soil began in the 16th century. In ancient Rus', doctors, or healers, often prescribed fresh carrots, or carrots with honey, to their patients. At the same time, the ancient Russians came up with a way to preserve all the beneficial properties of carrots for a long time (from autumn until spring) - they were placed in honey, which, due to its chemical composition, preserved the healing properties of carrots. In Ancient Rus' they also learned to prepare a carrot drink with medicinal powers. With its help, diseases of the liver and heart, as well as nasopharynx, were successfully treated.

This excellent-tasting vegetable was used in ancient times not only as food, but also as medicine. Currently, archaeologists have information that in Ancient Greece and Rome, purple carrots were not eaten, but were used exclusively as an effective medicine. Carrot seeds, according to ancient healers, reduced the risk of urinary tract infection, and the leaves helped with the occurrence of cancer. Nowadays, orange carrots have gained popularity, although purple carrots, according to the results of numerous scientific studies, contain a more optimal set of minerals and vitamins that have a positive effect on the human body.

Purple carrots contain a fairly large amount of beta-carotene, which slows down cell aging and is a naturally occurring antioxidant. Eating carrots, especially those with a purple hue, significantly reduces the risk of developing eye diseases such as cataracts. Ophthalmologists advise using carrots in the diet, both for various eye diseases and as a preventive measure.

There are many legends and customs associated with the history of carrots. According to German medieval legends, carrots were considered the favorite delicacy of gnomes. There was a belief that if you take a bowl of steamed carrots into the forest in the evening, then in the morning instead of carrots you will find an ingot of pure gold. At night, the gnomes will eat carrots and generously repay the food they love so much. There were gullible simpletons who carried bowls of carrots into the forest, but, alas, they did not find gold.

So, the history of carrots - it would seem that what new and interesting can be told about the well-known root vegetable? :) However, despite its ordinariness, carrots have their own history!

We are accustomed to gnawing carrots since childhood. And it’s rare that any dish from Russian cuisine is complete without carrots.

Therefore, make yourself comfortable, a story about the history of carrots awaits you! :)

It's amazing, but carrots are one of the oldest vegetable plants; people have been eating them for four thousand years. Carrot species with reddish roots are native to the Mediterranean, while those with purple, white,
yellow - Afghanistan and India. The ancient Greeks, and later the Romans, called carrots “daucus” and “karote”; later, these words became its botanical name.

Of course, everyone has heard about the terrible catastrophe that occurred in 79 AD: Volcano Vesuvius, after a long rest, unexpectedly for everyone, resumed its deadly activity and threw out a huge amount of lava and ash, under which the legendary Roman cities of Pompeii, Herculaneum and Stabia were buried.

Archaeologists who subsequently carried out excavations at the sites of these cities found images of bunches of carrots on the walls of houses. That is, carrots are perhaps the most ancient vegetable of all cultivated root vegetables consumed by humans. Fossilized remains of carrots were found in pile buildings near Bern in Switzerland. Experts believe that it lay there for less than three to four thousand years.

The ancient Greeks, and subsequently the Romans, called carrots "daucus" and "karote", later these words became its
botanical surname. Hippocrates recommended that women eat carrots to prevent unwanted conceptions.
Modern research has established that there is some truth in this theory of the Greek scientist. If a woman eats carrots even after having sex, the enzymes present in carrots can block conception. The same Hippocrates came up with a soup - a panacea for all diseases, which included carrots, celery, parsley root and leeks.

In Old Rome, carrots were considered delicious treats consumed during holidays and celebrations. They treated her with respect even in the Middle Ages. It is known that dishes from it were intended for noble guests who visited Charles the Famous, who lived in the 8th century. The modern orange carrot appeared in the sixteenth century. This variety was invented by Dutch producers.

Orange carrots were introduced to England during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I. Carrots soon became not only one of the most widely consumed vegetables, but also a fashion accessory. Society ladies used carrots to decorate their hats.

There is no reliable information about when carrots first appeared in Russia. In "Domostroy" carrots are described
in sufficient detail, as a root vegetable of bright orange color, i.e. in the 16th century, carrots were already cultivated in Rus'.
Vegetable gardens with carrots were found not only in villages, but also in Moscow itself. According to foreigners who visited then
time in Russia, there were many vegetable gardens with carrots around the capital.

However, this was not the first acquaintance of our ancestors with this vegetable. We have been growing carrots since time immemorial.

Even among the Krivichi, who inhabited Ancient Rus', they brought it as a gift to the deceased. Historians claim that the Krivichi, who inhabited Ancient Rus', placed carrots next to their dead fellow tribesmen so that it would serve them as food in the next world. There was a custom: carrots were placed near the deceased, then he was placed in a boat and burned. The carrots burned with the deceased were supposed to serve as food for him in the next world.

In addition to taste, the beneficial properties of carrots have long been known! Therefore, carrots have long deservedly become one of the favorite vegetables on our table.

It has very few calories, but it brings significant benefits to the human body. Beta-carotene gives carrots their orange color. It is processed in our body and converted into vitamin A, which is especially useful for vision.

Carrots also, over time, began to be used in folk medicine as a laxative and anthelmintic, for anemia, in the treatment of wounds, burns and eye diseases. Russian herbalists, medicinal and economic manuals of the 16th–17th centuries provided data on the ability of carrot roots to enhance the functioning of the genital organs and noted the healing effect of fresh, grated carrot roots in the treatment of cancer ulcers.

For greater effect and good absorption of vitamin A, it is recommended to consume fresh carrots by chopping them on a grater and adding sour cream or vegetable oil. Also, carrots also increase the milk supply of nursing mothers, so it is essential for them. In addition, carrots promote excellent digestion.

Interesting facts about carrots:

in the drawings of the temple in Luxor back in the 2nd millennium BC. We found purple carrots. And in the place where Pharaoh was buried, they found papers in which they write about treatment with carrots.

Carrot production was also carried out in Ancient Greece, but they called it “the carrier of love” and believed that it helps a person to be kind and loving.

orange carrots were bred for the Royal Family because it was their favorite color

in the 17th century, the British used carrots not only for culinary and medicinal purposes, but also for decorative purposes: girls used them to decorate their hats
carrots are in second place in popularity after potatoes

carrots are healthy raw, boiled, fried

For the first time, carotene was extracted from carrots, and from it came the name “carrot” that we know, which in Latin sounds like “carota”

there is a story that during World War II, representatives of England covered up the development of their night fighters by talking about a carrot diet, which improves their eyesight and allows them to see well at night

In the USA, every year they organize a festival in honor of carrots, where they choose the queen of carrots

Excessive consumption of this vegetable provokes yellowing of the skin. This is used to preserve the natural red color of animals.

The largest weight of one carrot was recorded - 8.5 kg, grown in Alaska

In Europe, carrots are mistaken for a fruit because they make sweets from them.

You can also eat carrot tops; they are no less healthy than root vegetables.

The longest carrot in the world is about 6 m long, created by a British farmer

in Germany they prepare aromatic and invigorating coffee from carrots

carrot sauce is considered a delicacy

Carrots are often used together with honey as a medicine for diseases.

carrots can clean enamel and prevent diseases of teeth and gums

the vegetable is useful for pregnant women, but in small quantities (about 100 g per day)

Here's a joke about carrots for a snack! :)