[Sca-cooks] Period food myths

[Decker, Terry D.]

> > colors of carrot known to precede the orange, white,
> yellow, purple, red,
> > green and black,
>
> > > how about the colour of carrots....white for the welsh areas
> > > of britain and
> > > purple in the rest.
> > > Many people still think those orange things are period.
>
> So, basically we shouldn't serve carrots at feasts, hn?
>
> -- Jadwiga Zajaczkowa

Since all cultivated carrots can be classed as Daucus carota sativa, I don't
see carrot color as a big issue for most feasts.

If you're being a real stickler, either do late-16th Century Dutch or
Flemish or grow your own heritage carrots.  (I can probably make a case for
orange carrots being in Elizabethan England, but it's shakey.)

Personally, I'm considering serving some of Pike's maroon carrots at my next
feast just to watch the fun.

BTW, I've only recently started researching the carrot for a possible future
column and some of the information isn't as properly documented as I like.
I'll probably be refining my position as I find better sources.

Bear