A Royal Root

If purple is a royal colour, then some Alberta carrots are fit for a king. Look for these purple root veggies, which go by such names as Purple Haze, in gardens and markets in Alberta this fall. Some varieties have a delicate purple skin with orange flesh, while others are purple through and through.

Like so many crops, the cultivated carrot has its root in the ancient Middle East. Its wild ancestor is said to be from Afghanistan. Easy to grow, nutritious and pest-resistant, varieties of carrots are now grown all over the world. While purple carrots may seem like a new specialty crop, they have a longer lineage than the more familiar orange ones. Orange carrots didn’t supplant the purple until a few hundred years ago in Europe. Purple varieties get their hue from anthocyanins, and some producers say the deeper colours indicate the presence of higher levels of disease-fighting antioxidants. 

“Our customers say that they roast up nicely,” says Aaron Herbert of Riverbend Gardens in Edmonton. “They have more of a crunch, but they aren’t quite as sweet as the orange ones.” Herbert also grows yellow and cream coloured varieties. The standard orange Nantes is still his favourite, “but the purple ones really attract attention at the market,” Herbert says. “They look great.”