Mailart 365, originally uploaded by L-plate big cheese.

I was earlier talking about how the colour orange only came into existence after medieval times. Funnily enough, on the theme of orange, there is also the story of carrots and how they became “domesticated” and indeed orange.

There is apparently evidence that “wild carrot” type vegetables have grown in the different parts of Asia for millennia. There are so called “wild” since they’re bitter in taste and pretty much inedible. These carrots came in a variety of colours - white, yellow and even purple.

It’s thought that the reason the carrots we now eat are bright orange is the result of many gene pool selections from the wild carrots which grew around the Mediterranean. I’ve often heard it cited that the Dutch are responsible for the bright orange colour which complements their royal standard flag (which is also bright orange).

It’s funny how this vegetable became orange by humans interbreeding it, whilst the orange became orange just because the meaning of a word changed...

This one's going to Maurizio Follin from IUOMA :)