Carrots can be classified into two classes, eastern and western. They come from the Apiaceae family and there are over 100 species. Eastern carrots originate from Asia and are usually purple or yellow with branched roots. The purple color in carrots comes from the pigment anthocyanin. Western carrots originate from the Netherlands and are orange in color. The color comes from the richness of carotene in them. They can also be white, yellow, purple and red. Carrots are a plant with a thick fleshy root underground and feathery green leaves above the ground.
Carrots are rich in dietary fiber, antioxidants, minerals (Mg, K, Ca) and vitamins C and B complex. They contain a high amount of sugar, primarily sucrose, but very little starch or fat. During the first five months of storage, the content of vitamin A in carrots will increase and if protected from heat or light sources, this content can be preserved for another three months. Storing carrots near apples or other fruits that produce ethylene gas during ripening promotes the development of terpenoids in carrots, making them bitter.
Carrots can be consumed in a variety of ways, boiled, baked or raw (soups, stews and cakes). Carrot juice combined with beetroot is used as a blood purifier and prevents diarrhea. Other therapeutic benefits include relief from asthma, nervousness, dropsy and skin diseases.
Black Queen – a carrot that is not a new breed, but a cross between an old type of black carrot and the familiar orange. It tastes sweeter and has more beta-carotene than the familiar types of carrots. It contains anthocyanin, which is a plant compound responsible for all the purple and blue colors we find in nature; red wine, red grapes, blue potatoes, eggplant, etc. Anthocyanin found in Crna Kraljica frees the body of toxic radicals from cells and participates in the process of energy exchange in the body, regulates blood pressure and has a preventive effect on diseases such as cancer and heart disease. High concentrations of beta-carotene make a very important contribution to health, clear eyes, smooth skin and healthy hair, and slows down and prevents cancerous growth.
Advantages of Crna Kraljica compared to other varieties:
sweet, juicy and simply special
up to 40% more beta-carotene
high percentage of anthocyanins
easy preparation
without genetic manipulation
