Carrot Trivia 1

All the interesting trivia you never knew about carrots!

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101 Trivia

More Trivia

Homonyms

Signing

Yin and Yang Carrot Fan

Other Museums

Carrot Sunday

Veg or Fruit?

Around the World The soapbox Thimble

If this is not enough be sure to visit the other trivia pages -

Trivia 2 which gives examples of the carrot in the Arts and Sciences together with some fascinating "rock art" discovered by Brian Lee in America. Here you will also find the famous icy sparks microwave effect explained, and examples of carrot tattoos.  Carrots can make antifreeze and see if carrots could unlock the mysteries of the universe!
Were Carrots the first step in cloning?  and so much more .........

Trivia 3 concentrates on Carrots in Literature, Poetry and Quotations.

Trivia 4 starts to register the carrot in Films and Television.


Quack's Medical WorldWelcome to the amazing trivial world of the Carrot. You probably thought that the carrot has a very uninteresting life with no significance to the world. Well read on and be amazed how carrots impact on everyday life.

Carrot references can be found in many part of the arts and sciences. Carrots have been included in several major works of art and helped in identifying species in the 17th century using the paintings of the Dutch masters. See some magnificent examples of fine art depicting carrots here.

Carrots are one of the rare vegetables which are more nutritious cooked than raw find out why here.

Carrots are more nutritious when cut by a knife! - read here.

Carrots can make a material as strong as carbon fibre! - read here

Here are Trivia Nos 1 to 35:

Next 100 + trivias


Vegetable or Fruit??

In the European Union Jam Directive, written in the 80s, which describes the parameters required for a product to be labelled as jam or marmalade and from which the UK Jam and Similar Products legislation is based, there is the phrase "for the purposes of this directive, tomatoes, the edible part of rhubarb stalks, carrots, sweet potatoes, cucumbers, pumpkins, melons and water melons are considered to be fruit". This was introduced to pacify the Portuguese who are strongly into Carrot Marmalade!

Of course carrots are not biologically a fruit as they do not carry the seeds, and the above paragraph in the jam directive does not reclassify them as such, just allows them to be used as fruit.

Duerrs, the famous British Jam maker does not use any carrots in their products, although twin carrotmany years ago they did try carrot jam and tomato jam. It is recalled that this was to try out what the products would taste like due to the above mentioned in the jam directive. The unanimous conclusion at the time was that tomato jam was actually very nice but carrot jam was awful! Try this Carrot Jam Recipe.

Marmalade is a curiously British term, marmalade means a jam made with citrus fruit. The term was fought over in the European Community as other countries wanted to do away with it or change its meaning. Marmalade contains citrus fruit (sometimes with something else like ginger or ) and is usually characterised by the cut of the peel. Marmalade is thought to have originated in Portugal, where quinces (marmelo) were cooked with sugar to make a preserve. The British were the first to add the peel back to orange marmalade, to make the preserve set instead of using apple juice, hence the British tradition of orange marmalade.

Carrot is definitely a vegetable. Though vegetable is strictly a culinary term, and open to mis-interpretation. Carrot Marmalade Recipe here.

 

The Wikpediea gives a good definition here:  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vegetable

 

Normally a vegetable is a part of a plant which is edible (usually grown to be eaten) and does not contain the seeds, or is not formed from the flower.

 

For example an apple tree flowers, the flower then turns into the actual apple, which in turn contains seeds.  Same with a banana, plum etc.  Hence a tomato is a fruit.

 

A vegetable like the carrot, flowers and produces seeds externally, usually in the form of a seed bud from the flower.

 

Carrot is biennial, flowering in the second year, above ground.

 

 

The Complementary Carrot Museums

Romana from Newport Rhode Island has her own Carrot Museum and has been collecting carrot artefacts since 1993 and now has over a 1300 pieces from all over the world! These range from mugs, artwork, toys, birdhouses, underwear and a toothbrush. Her husband, Charles has even given her three carrot rings!!.

This is surely true carrot madness. Romana has so much stuff it warrants a few pages of her own in the World Carrot Museum. A few pages of photos will give you a flavour of the entire collection. Click here to go there.  Of course her collection includes contributions from the World Carrot Museum.

Should you wish to visit and stay in Armistead Cottage in Rhode Island check out Romana's own Web site here.

See what other collectors get up to on the Carrot Collectors Pages - here.

There is also a small "museum" in Belgium, though really is a collection on public display - see here.

 


Signing for a Carrot

How do you sign for a carrot for a deaf person?

Hold your 1st hand as the sign for a Vegetable and then at same time hold your 2nd hand as the colour;

then change your 2nd hand to a Fist hand, back outward; fingers forward.

This is how it should look:

                     

A Carrot Thimble

Yes just when you think you have seen everything a new carrot items appears.   A thimble made out of a real carrot. Hand carved by, the artist, a silversmith, is Lucerne Wulf of AZ. She normally makes wonderful silver thimbles, but wanted to try thimbles in other materials. This carrot is from her "vegetable" phase. She also made a thimble from a potato!

The thimble was made in 1995 and was bought it in 1996 at a Thimble Collectors International convention sales mall, by Barbara K. Acchino, who kindly informed the Carrot Museum and supplied the photographs.
 

A Wonderful Carrot Fan

Just when the Carrot Museum thinks it has seen everything another fantastic find comes along.

This fan is one of many interesting novelty fans soon to be in a book titled "Novelty Fans, Fashionable, Foundational Fun Accessories of the Past" by hand fan expert Cynthia Fendel. The paper mâché carrot is approximately 6" closed and 13" when the fabric leafs at the top are pulled up. The fan style is called "cockade" and simple examples were popular during the late 19th century in Europe and the US. A variety of objects were imitated such as pencils, candles, and bottles. Although Japan made many novelty fans, this is not from far east. There are no markings on the fan. Any comments on this fan would be greatly appreciated.  Click on the picture for a larger image, or here.

Why not visit Cynthia Fendel's web site for a fascinating insight in the world of fans: www.handfanpro.com


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Homonyms

Carat is the unit of weight for precious stones, equal to 200 milligrams

Caret is a proof readers insertion mark

Carrot is the edible orange rooted vegetable

Karat is one 24th part of otherwise pure gold

Did you know? - One pound of carrots gives a normal man enough energy to raise 64 tons 1 foot in the air?  That same pound can produce 1 ounce and 11 grains of sugar.   A pound also contains 14 ounces of water.

(From:Food collection Bethnal Green Museum – Dr Lankester) 

 


Carrot Sunday

The Sunday before Michaelmas 29 September is called carrot Sunday in Scotland.

The Eve of St. Michael is the eve of bringing in the carrots, of baking the struan, of killing the lamb, of stealing the horses. The Day of St. Michael is the Day of the early mass, the day of the sacrificial lamb, the day of the oblation struan, the day of the distribution of the lamb, the day of the distribution of the struan, the day of the pilgrimage to the burial-ground of their fathers, the day of the burial-ground service, the day of giving and receiving the carrots with their wishings and acknowledgements, and the day of the oda - the athletics of the men and the racing of the horses. The Night of Michael is the night of the dance and the song, of the merry-making, of the love-making, and of the love-gifts.
Some days before the festival of St. Michael the women and girls go to the fields and plains of the townland to procure carrots. The afternoon of the Sunday immediately preceding St. Michael's day is specially devoted to this purpose, and on this account is known as Domhnach Curran - Carrot Sunday. The carrot was a fertility symbol usually given from a woman to a man.


111,111,111 x 111,111,111 = 12,345,678,987,654,321 wow!

Riddle: The following number is the only one of its kind. '8,549,176,320' Can you figure out what is so special about it?
Answer: It's the only number that has all the digits arranged in alphabetical order.


Carrot Names around the World

Austria: Karotte Netherlands: Peen
Belgium: Wortel Norway: Gulrot
Denmark: Gulerod Portugal: Cenoura
Finland: Porkkana Spain: Zanahoria
France:  Carotte Sweden: Morot
Germany: Mohre Switzerland: Carotte
Greece:  Karotto UK: Carrot
Italy:Carota Polish: Marchew
chinese flag Chinese: hong malaysian flag Malay:lobak merah
mongolian falg Mongolian:luuvan thai flag Thai:Khaerot


Carrot Soapbox

You thought you had seen it all - well what about this Carrot Soap Box made for a Soap Box Derby in Vancouver,BC, CANADA. Many thanks to Judson Beaumont Owner & Designer of Straight Line Designs Inc. Great idea Judson.

photo of the carrot soap box The soapbox cart with rider

Kinetic Carrot Sculpture Cars

Once a simple race down Ferndale's Main Street, the Great Arcata to Ferndale World Championship Kinetic Sculpture Race has grown to become a three-day, all terrain race across 42 miles of roads, mud, water, sand, gravel and more. Held annually on Memorial Day weekend, this local event draws racers and spectators from around the country, and has been televised around the world!

And of course it attracts Carrot Cars! Looks like great fun.

Take a look at the Kinetic Art Museum here



ying yang symbol Yin and Yang

Asians traditionally classify foods as yin, yang, or neutral, depending on the energy they impart to the body. Yin, or cooling, foods are said to have a calming effect, whereas yang foods are warming. Neutral foods, such as rice and other whole grains, provide balance. Westerners tend to over indulge in yang foods, such as french fries and meat. The aim is to maintain health through a proper balance of yin and yang.

Yin (cooling) foods include Steamed, poached, or boiled foods. Bok choy, bean sprouts, cucumber, eggplant, tofu, seafood.

Yang (warming) foods include Deep fried, stir-fried, or roasted foods. Meats & poultry. Garlic, ginger, spices, carrots, onion.


Hotel Found in Fuji, Japan Hot air Balloon

 

 


If this is not enough be sure to visit The Trivia 2 page which gives examples of the carrot in art together with some fascinating "rock art" discovered by in America, pieces of carrot poetry and quotations not to mention the carrot tattoos. Also carrots make antifreeze and could unlock the mysteries of the universe!
Next Page - Trivia 2 - The Arts and Sciences


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