'C' is for Carotte (and Cousin Panais)

03/02/2004
'C' is for Carotte (and Cousin Panais)

How do you like my carrots in love, discovered going at it en plein terre in my fall potager? I was so eager to use this photo of my intertwined carrots that I am temporarily skipping 'B' in our abecedaire du potager to move on to 'C'. This is the second in a series of articles designed to teach you the ABC's of our precious food plants.

Even more important, it's a chance for me to dive into the fascinating history and folklore of the vegetable kingdom. So here we go, exploring the humble carrot, which is none other than Queen Anne's lace (Daucus carota) in an orange dress, and grown fat and fleshy from a long domesticated life..

History and folklore. Carrots (carotte--Daucus carota) and their cousins the parsnips (panais--Pastinaca sativa) are among the most ancient of cultivated vegetables. Both of these members of the family Apiaceae are European natives, and like all members of this family, they are biennial (flowering in the second year and then dying).

The wild form of the carrot, which we know as Queen Anne's lace, has a fibrous white taproot that is less fleshy and of course without the color of a modern carrot. Ancient carrots were undoubtedly closer to this wild form, which has led to enormous confusion when trying to sort out the individual histories of carrots and parsnips (also white). The Latin name for the parsnip genus--Pastinaca--is thought to come from pastus, meaning "food". This would further explain the historical confusion of the two vegetables, as well as offer a testament to how important they were in the ancient diet.



The earliest evidence of carrot/parsnip consumption dates from the end of the Mesolithic era, approximately 2000 BC. Carrots and parsnips as we know them today seem to have originated in Syria. At least, our earliest written reference to them, by Pliny the Elder, refers to them in that area.

The carrot in ancient Greek and Roman times was still white and very fibrous. Apicius recorded several recipes for this ancient carrot, both fried and in salads. By the fourth century, a red carrot as well as a white were present in Syria, from where the red form--already recognized as more succulent--spread throughout the Mediterranean basin.

The carrot and the parsnip remain confused in most manuscripts from the Middle Ages. But by the time of Charlemagne, they are resolved into two distinct vegetables. In Le Ménagier de Paris, a sort of manual written in 1396 for the bourgeois Parisian household, there is mention of a "panois", certainly the panais or parsnip, as well as of the garroites (carottes), "red roots sold by bunches in les Halles" (the ancient bustling foodmarket in the heart of Paris which was still in existence until the 1970's, when it was tragically torn down and replaced by the disastrous "Les Halles" commercial center of today).

The first modern carrot variety was 'Long Orange' (Longue Orange), which originated in Holland and, being the first truly succulent, fleshy carrot, rapidly spread throughout Europe. While scores of carrot varieties were developed, including red, yellow, purple, and white types, breeding of the parsnip has always lagged far behind that of its flashier cousin. Perhaps that is because the parsnip has always been and will always be...white.



In France, both the carrot and the parsnip were equally appreciated until the end of the 19th century. In 1853, Husson recorded the amounts of the major vegetables consumed in Paris per year. For carrots, 8,059, 200 bunches were devoured. At 2 1/2 kilos (about 5 pounds) per bunch (bunches were big then!), that amounted to more than 50,000,000 pounds. Parsnips, while less sought-after, were still consumed at a respectable 495,400 bunches or approximately 2,500,000 pounds per year.

But by the end of the 19th century, the French became so enamored of the potato that it largely replaced the parsnip in culinary usage. Now, parsnips are found only in the best markets and especially in organic markets where producers offer an especially wide variety of produce.

(This neglect of the parsnip has happened somewhat similarly in the U.S. Although you can find parsnips in supermarkets, they always look as if they've been languishing in the bin for several months. The Franco-American banishment of the parsnip to the bin of legumes oubliées or forgotten vegetables is in contrast to the loyalty of the British to this vegetable. The best and greatest variety of extant parsnip varieties are from England.)

I admit that, being American by birth and French by adoption, I am guilty of a bit of parsnip discrimination myself. It has a curious flavor that is at once extremely sweet and more "carroty" than carrots. The parsnip in brief has a more assertive taste that, rather than integrating and blending into the overall flavor of a dish (as, for example, a carrot in mirepoix, that basic mixture of chopped onion, carrot and celery that is intrinsic to many recipes) the parsnip claims a room of its own. Therefore, while I do use parsnips, I use them much less than carrots. Finally, I am prejudiced against vegetables without pigment, as they are obviously lacking in vitamin A. And, oh alright, I admit I find parsnips just a touch dowdy.



Today the best-known carrot in France is the carotte de Créances (below left), grown in the sandy soil of lower Normandie, near the town of Cotentin. Only eight villages are allowed to call their carrots by this special name. The carotte de Créances has a regulated growing regimen which includes a special fertilizer of local seaweeds rich in sulfur and iodine as well as manure. They pass the winter in the ground, protected by a layer of straw, and are harvested according to the demands of the market, assuring maximum freshness.



However, in Parisian markets the premium carrot is simply called "the sand carrot," (carotte de sable--photo below right). Grown by 18 different villages not far from the carrot of Creances' territory, the sand carrot is said to be coreless and is always sold carefully unwashed, so that you are assured of its origin by its sugar-doughnut-like appearance. The favored variety for sand carrots is the 'Rouge de Carentan', a coreless variety.




Carrot and parsnip in speech and tradition. (Warning: In order to avoid falling asleep, you might want to skip this part if you're not a language freak.) I am unaware of any figures of speech in English turning on the carrot and parsnip (except for "carrot-top" meaning red-haired). Perhaps an alert reader can fill me in on some I've overlooked. But in France, both the carrot and the parsnip, due to their cylindrical form, have been used of course to allude to the male sex. (Yes, French is undoubtedly the language richest in figures of speech having to do with sex. Not surprising, is it?)

The carrot figures abundantly, however, in other French expressions. It even evolved into a verb--carotter--which means to get something from someone by means of a ruse or other fraudulent means. An "eater of carrots" (mangeur des carottes) is a fool, a naive person easy to be had. "Jouer la carotte" means to play with small stakes. And, a carotteur or carotteuse is someone who swindles you out of money by means of his or her sexual favors.

Ah, yes, in French, sooner or later, all language leads toward sex. Thus, in the 17th century, someone wrote, "Je luis mets ma pastenade dedans son petit bassin," (I put my parsnip in her little pelvis...) Well, yes, you get the idea.

Other than as argot for the erect male member, the parsnip has received rather ignominious connotations in the French language. To call someone a "panais pourri" or rotten parsnip, is an insult, obviously. Meanwhile, "panesennec", Breton for parsnip, means "imbecile."

Some usages refer to the whiteness of the parsnip, equating it with nudity. Thus, "se promener en panais" is to walk around nude. Others capitalize on the parsnip's cold hardiness by stating outright: I'm no more afraid of that than a parsnip is of frost.

One of the reasons I'm boring you with all this is to give you an idea of how rich the French language is in expressions. And here, I'm not even showing you the tip of the iceberg.

Moving on to tradition, who among you has heard of the Halloween parsnip? Well, the Celtic holiday of Halloween predates the pumpkin by about 2500 years. For the Gauls, who were the Celtic tribe of France, the year ended on the date corresponding to our 31st of October. All the beasts were brought in from the pastures, and thanks were offered to the gods for the harvest.

In addition, all the fires were extinguished in the hearths of both homes and sacred altars. The druids then kindled a new flame from the twigs of sacred oaks, and the hearths were relit using this new sacred fire. A hollowed-out root--a parsnip or turnip--was used to carry the coals of the new sacred fire from hearth to hearth. (If it sounds unlikely that a parsnip could be carved into a jack 'o lantern, consider how round some of the parsnips are in the photo near the beginning of the article.) It wasn't until the Irish emigrated to the U.S. that the New World pumpkin became involved in the festivities.

Because of the notoriously capricious germination of carrots and parsnips, French gardening traditions were full of superstitious tricks for ensuring a good harvest. These varied from an imbrocation to wear a new shirt when planting carrots to touching your thigh while planting them, muttering "long as my thigh, thick as my thigh" to ensure your carrots would thus grow. The French have always believed--and still do!--that carrots, along with other roots, must be planted during the waning moon to prevent bolting.

Carrot and parsnip varieties. Like most vegetables, carrots and parsnips have suffered an a terrible attrition of varieties since the beginning of the 20th century. At least 6 varieties of parsnip were around in the early part of the century. Today, it's difficult to find anything other than the ubiquitous 'Guernsey Half-Long'.



Carrots have fared a little better, in that some of our most familiar modern carrot varieties are of old French origin, including all the Danvers and Nantes types. But at the turn of the century, the varieties of carrot occupied 13 pages in the Vilmorin authoritative tome on vegetable varieties. However, to the credit of seed savers and artisan seed houses in both France and the U.S., some of these are still around today.

Growing carrots and parsnips. That these vegetables need light-textured, well-worked soil in order to be able to thrust their roots into the ground is pretty common knowledge. Clay soils can grow perfectly good carrots, but need to be amended with plenty of compost and sand, as much to allow the fragile seedlings to emerge as the roots to grow. Raised beds are an excellent adjunct in heavy soils.

Forking the soil deeply in preparation to planting is preferable to rototilling, which can produce a hardpan layer beneath the surface on which the growing roots stub their noses. Remove excessive stones from the planting bed, as they will cause roots to fork where they hit the rocks.

Your fertilizer for carrots should have more phosphorus than nitrogen, as phosphorus favors root growth and nitrogen the leaves. Too much nitrogen in the soil will also cause"hairy" carrots covered with fine feeder roots. Use compost or well-aged manure, and you can't go wrong. An addition of bone meal or rock phosphate will supply the necessary phosphorus boost.

Carrots have very fragile seedlings which have a difficult time emerging through crusted soil. Therefore, sow them thickly and keep the soil surface moist. Some gardeners like to place a plank or some burlap over the row just until germination occurs. Others like to mix the carrot seed with that of radishes, which germinate fast and vigorously, breaking the way for the carrots. The radishes will be harvested long before the carrots are ready.

Carrots can absolutely not compete with weeds. Because of this, it is good to water your prepared soil and allow weeds to germinate, then cultivate before planting your carrots. After germination, give your carrot bed priority in your weeding schedule. Make sure to water after weeding to settle the disturbed earth around your carrots so they don't wilt.

Keep your carrots as evenly watered as possible. Heavy watering after a prolonged period of drought will cause the roots to crack. Regular watering also keeps carrots tender and sweet, and helps avoid the buildup of the terpenes which cause an unpleasantly strong carroty taste.

The worst pest of carrots is the carrot fly, as much a problem here in France as in the U.S. The female adults are attracted by the scent of all members of the carrot family and lay their eggs in the soil around them. It is the larvae emerging from these eggs which burrow into your carrots, causing the dark tunnels and subsequent rot.



If you protect your carrots with non-woven fabric row cover during spring and again when temperatures start to cool in August, you will prevent the fly from laying its eggs. The carrot fly ceases reproductive activity at temperatures above 72 degrees and below 60 degrees, so your carrots are safe in the heat of summer and during the cool of later fall.

Harvesting and storing. In all but the coldest regions, carrots and parsnips can be left in the ground all winter and harvested as needed. In cold regions, mulch your carrots with straw or oak leaves to prevent the ground from freezing. A narrow fork works best for harvesting. If you try to pull carrots up by hand, they usually break either at the level of the tops or below the soil line.

Carrots and parsnips keep for weeks in a breathable plastic bag in the produce drawer of your refrigerator. Packed into moist sand, they will keep all winter in an unheated basement or root cellar.

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Products of Interest:
Average soils--French Queen Anne's lace
Carrot 'Rouge de Carentan sans Coeur'
'Rosier' weeding fork
Provenandccedil;al garden fork