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日本語のブログ
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Carrots are consumed everywhere in the World, raw or cooked in so many manners, including desserts, that you need a whole book to describe all the recipes! And you might have to come up with a special addenda leaflet to introduce all its varieties!
Now, people might have forgotten that this cousin of the spinach orignated from Afghanistan before it was first introduced in China and Europe (by the Dutch) in the 12th Century. Japan had to wait until the 16th Century before the Chinese brought it to the Island of the Rising Sun.
FACTS:
Some time ago carrots were not popular in Japan because of their strong taste characteristics, but the Japanese have come with sweeter and softer varieties:
“Kyo-Ninjin”, a variety developed in Kyoto, with a deep dark red colour and very sweet taste.
“Go-Sun Ninjin”, the most common in Japan.
“San-Sun Ninjin”, a smaller variety of the above.
“Daijyo Ninjin”, a very long and thin variety very popular in Japanese restaurants! Great for sticks!
“Kinji Ninjin”, probably the most elegant of them all!
“Kiiro Ninjin”, beautiful and very sweet!
“Mini Ninjin”, so much fun!
Now, do not forget the leaves which contain an enormous amount of Vitamin C!
-Season: May to June, and October to Deecember in the Northern Hemisphere.
-Beneficial elements:
Carotenes
An absolute need for humans. Carotenes are more easily absorbed by the body systems when the carrots are eaten together with oil, dressing or “glace”.
Vitamin C, Potassium, Calcium.
TIPS:
Preservation: Carrots should not be kept inside too cold fridges. Protect them by wrapping them into newspaper “standing up”, or into cellophane paper if they are cut.
Choose specimen with a good constant colour and with a small stem core if you buy them with leaves already cut away.
Important: When you peel them, do so as thinly as possible as the majority of the carotenes lie just under the skin!
SHIZUOKA GOURMET 
Those mini carrots are so cute! I just added carrots to my vegetable beef stew today, (but they were just the industrial looking ones in the 5lb. bag) Yours look much better.
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The variety of something as simple as a carrot is a real culinary eye opener. Another useful tip is that the flavor compounds in carrots are water soluable. If you cook then in a lot of boiling water they leach the flavor into the water. I love slicing my carrots, adding them to melted butter, and cooking covered over low flame until tender. The taste is unreal. I recently cooked carrots sous vide at 185 degrees with butter and crystalized ginger…absolutely fantastic!
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Dear Garrett!
Greetings!
Thank you so much for the tips!
I’m sure a lot of people are interested!
Cheers,
Ma Chere Joie!
Bonjour!
Merci pour tes commentaires!
Bien amicalement,
Robert-Gilles
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Dear Corinne, Liz, Lauren, Kiran and DJ karma!
Greetings!
Thank you so much for your knd comments!
Actually to answer DJ, there seems to be lot more varieties.
Ihave a farmer friend who organically grows small thin white, yellow and deep orange carrots for restaurants in Shizuoka and Tokyo!
he lives in Shibakawa-Cho at the foot of Mt. Fui!
Plan to report one day!
Cheers,
Robert-Gilles
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Had no idea there were so many varieties. I want to try them all! Thanks for the info!!
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This is a great post, very informative 🙂
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Those thin yellow ones are intriguing. I just got some super thick ones from my CSA. They’re about 2 1/2 in. in diameter. Soup or stew carrots.
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Robert Greetings to you!
I am so glad you escaped the giant lobster!
Those tiny ones look like my garden about four years ago…I had micro crops growing…I love carrots, what do I not like!
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I love carrots, I wish we had so many varieties to choose from here…
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