Did You Know Friday 4th April is International Carrot Day?
It may not be one of the better known events but that doesn’t make International Carrot Day any less of a celebration (it does in Andrea’s cooked carrot disliking opinion!) If you love carrots and want to express your appreciation of the delicious and versatile orange vegetable, join people from around the world who extol its virtues on April 4th every year.
First conceived in April 2003, the following for International Carrot Day has grown considerably, with 2012 celebrations taking place in locations as widespread as France, Japan, Italy, Sweden, Russia and Australia as well as here in the UK.
Is this year the year you become a Carrot Ambassador and invite your friends to a carrot party in your house (no, not in this house!)?
From carrot cake and carrot juice to carrot sticks and dips, there are plenty of ways to show your love of the carrot. According to the organisers, a true Carrot Ambassador will go the whole hog and dress in a carrot costume too…
Not sure what to tell your guests about the humble carrot? Here are just a few fabulous facts about the ubiquitous vegetable:
- Carrots are thought to have originated in Iran and Afghanistan
- Although orange is the most common colour, carrots of purple, yellow, white and red can also be found
- Over 35 million tons of carrots are produced each year
- Parsley, fennel, dill and cumin are cousins of the carrot
- Carrots were originally cultivated for their leaves and seeds, rather than the root which we eat nowadays
- Carrots were first intended to be medicine, not food
- Planting carrots alongside your tomato plants can significantly increase production
- They grow everywhere – from a mountain village in Vietnam where Andrea was made to eat carrot soup every meal for 2 days to carrot mash made from powdered carrots (Andrea remains convinced it was mashed sawdust with orange food colouring) in the back of beyond in Arizona. Never a fan since she was 7 and blocked the cistern in her grandparents’ house by hiding several weeks’ worth of Sunday lunch carrots in the cistern thinking no one would notice. They did!
If you decide to become a Carrot Ambassador in 2014, do get in touch and let us know. We would love to hear your story and see some photos from your carrot party if you’re feeling brave enough. Feel free not to tell us of your favourite carrot recipe but do tell us how you avoided eating them as a child!
We always love to learn of new weird and wonderful national days and celebrations – what unusual events do you celebrate?
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