Carrots

Carrots are a vegetable that grows as a conical root in the ground, from which grows a green, leafy stalk. Carrots should not be eaten when still green (unripe). Various alcoholic beverages can also be made from carrots, but it isn't recommended.

"They (carrots) remain in the human bile gland awaiting a time to be thrown up. Not a nice vege at all."

The Medieval Carrot

In modern times, carrots are orange, but during medieval times, was (I believe) known to most people in antiquity as a white vegetable (like a turnip, but tasting like a carrot) but also (less common?) red, reddish black, orange, yellow and various other shadings were mentioned, especially in the late medieval period.

Various other medieval names exist for carrots, or that include carrots, eg skirret (water parsnip), pasternakes (carrots or parsnip). Carrots were eaten raw or cooked in medieval times.

Carrots in the SCA

While cloved carrots have been seen around the place, carrots are most often associated with St Ursula, a tradition that dates back a few years to when the combined forces of St Ursula turned up to Festival with (almost) nothing to eat but that noble root. Carrots have since featured in the mythology of that college- St Ursula's carrot wallop should probably be avoided, depending on your need for alcohol.

more details on varieties of root vegetables at:

http://www.florilegium.org/files/FOOD-VEGETABLES/root-veg-msg.html

recipes for carrots:

• see pasternakes