Hotville, California claims to be the Carrot Capital of the World, and has an annual festival devoted solely to carrots.

The carrot has had a long history, playing many roles and going through many changes along the way. Wild carrots were thought to have been around for many years before they were domesticated, making it hard to pinpoint exactly where organized cultivation took place. Archeologists have narrowed it down to either Afghanistan or Turkey. In the early times, carrots were grown for their fragrant leaves and seeds, not their delicious roots. They were originally grown only in purple or yellow colors, but as they spread to Europe and Asia more and more varieties started to appear. The Dutch growers are accredited with breading the sweet, orange-color carrot we are most familiar with. These European settlers introduced this delicious root to America in the 17^th century.

The Imperial, Riverside and Monterey Counties in California are known for growing carrots, but they can also be commonly found in Texas and Florida. There are over 100 species that vary significantly in shape, size, color and root description, but that can be classified into two broad categories: eastern carrots or western carrots. Here is a small list of some of the carrots we are most familiar with:

•  Danvers

•  Miniature/Baby

•  IMPERATOR

•  JUMBO

•  Chantaney

•   Nantes