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胡蘿蔔 (Carrot)
胡蘿蔔,又稱紅蘿蔔、黃蘿蔔、番蘿蔔、丁香蘿蔔、胡蘆菔金、赤珊瑚、黃根、甘筍、金筍、紅菜頭(閩南語、客家語)等,是繖形科胡蘿蔔屬二年生植物,以呈肉質的根作蔬菜食用。胡蘿蔔原產於亞洲的西南部,栽培歷史在2000年以上。公元10世紀從伊朗引入歐洲大陸,15世紀見於英國,發展成歐洲生態型,尤以地中海沿岸種植最多。16世紀傳入美國。約在13世紀,胡蘿蔔從伊朗引入中國,發展成中國生態型,根據李時珍本草綱目的記載,因為從胡地傳來,味道像蘿蔔,故名胡蘿蔔。中國胡蘿蔔以山東、河南、浙江、雲南等省種植最多。胡蘿蔔於16世紀從中國傳入日本。 形態 胡蘿蔔為二年生草本植物,有9對染色體,屬半耐寒性長日照植物,喜冷涼氣候。三回羽狀全裂葉,叢生於單生的短縮莖上。頂端各著生一復傘形花序,有糙硬毛,花朵為白色或淡紅色,花期5-7月。異花傳粉。雙懸果,果實圓卵形。肉質根有長筒、短筒、長圓錐及短圓錐等不同形狀,黃、橙、橙紅、紫等不同顏色。 |
胡蘿蔔營養價值
胡蘿蔔營養豐富。一般食用其肉質根,胡蘿蔔葉有時也被拿來食用。胡蘿蔔種子內含有揮發性油。胡蘿蔔根可以直接生食,也可加工成塊、丁、絲同其他食材一同烹飪。胡蘿蔔汁也是一種常見的胡蘿蔔加工製成品,胡蘿蔔汁或胡蘿蔔泥也可和麵粉或米粉等澱粉類物質混合做成糕餅類食物。還可腌制、醬漬、制干或作飼料。其風味主要來自於萜烯類物質,該物質味道較為獨特,並非所有人都能接受。胡蘿蔔的營養成分中,最重要的就是因其得名的胡蘿蔔素,胡蘿蔔根內含有α、β、γ、ε-胡蘿蔔素和番茄烴、六氫番茄烴等類胡蘿蔔素,胡蘿蔔素有治療夜盲症、保護呼吸道和促進兒童生長等功能。此外還含較多的維生素及鈣、磷、鐵等礦物質。糖類物質則包括澱粉、纖維素等。中醫上認為胡蘿蔔根能治療消化不良,久痢、咳嗽、麻疹、水痘、百日咳等病症。胡蘿蔔有「小人參」之稱。 胡蘿蔔 營養
又稱黃蘿蔔,是營養豐富的蔬菜,譽稱「小人蔘」。胡蘿蔔中最有名的成分就是胡蘿蔔素— 一種黃色色素,一百多年前在胡蘿蔔中首先發現的。現在知道胡蘿蔔每百克含1.35—17.25毫克的胡蘿蔔素,遠比其他蔬菜為多,是土豆的360倍,芹菜的36倍。胡蘿蔔素進入人體被吸收后,可轉化成維生素a,所以胡蘿蔔素又叫維生素a原。可貴的是,胡蘿蔔雖經煮蒸日晒,其中的胡蘿蔔素損失很少。 經常食用胡蘿蔔對身體有很多好處:一是增強免疫力,抗癌防玻如人體內缺乏維生素A,不僅對眼睛、皮膚的影響大,而且抵抗力差,易發生呼吸系統和泌尿系統疾玻倘若常吃胡蘿蔔,滿足人體對維生素a的需要,不僅養眼、養粘膜,不容易得夜盲症和感冒,而且能增強人體的抗病能力,加上胡蘿蔔含有大量的木質素,也有提高肌體抗病能力的作用,可以減少和防止癌症的發生。據英美癌症研究機構經過二十多年觀察斷定,經常吃胡蘿蔔及其他富含維生素A的人,比起不常吃此類食物的人,得肺癌的機會要減少40%。 二是美容、健身。維生素A的另一作用是維持人體上皮組織的正常機能,使其分泌出糖蛋白,用以保持肌膚濕潤細嫩,所以經常食用胡蘿蔔,可保持光彩照人的年輕形象。另外,胡蘿蔔含有芥子油和澱粉酶,能促進脂肪的新陳代謝,防止過多的脂肪在皮下堆積而發胖,保持體態健美。因此,美國人認為胡蘿蔔是美容菜,可以養頭髮、養皮膚、養黏膜。現在歐洲人常吃胡蘿蔔糕點,連俄羅斯也吃胡蘿蔔餃子了。我國也有吃胡蘿蔔飲料、胡蘿蔔蘋果美容果汁的,但一般是將胡蘿蔔炒、燒、燉、煮作菜食用。 |
Carrot
The carrot is a root vegetable, usually orange in colour, though purple, red, white, and yellow varieties exist. It has a crisp texture when fresh. The most commonly eaten part of a carrot is a taproot, although the greens are sometimes eaten as well. It is a domesticated form of the wild carrot Daucus carota, native to Europe and southwestern Asia. The domestic carrot has been selectively bred for its greatly enlarged and more palatable, less woody-textured edible taproot. The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) reports that world production of carrots and turnips (these plants are combined by the FAO for reporting purposes) for calendar year 2011 was almost 35.658 million tonnes. Almost half were grown in China. Carrots are widely used in many cuisines, especially in the preparation of salads, and carrot salads are a tradition in many regional cuisines. Nutrition Most carrot cultivars are about 88% water, 7% sugar, 1% protein, 1% fibre, 1% ash, and 0.2% fat. The fibre comprises mostly cellulose, with smaller proportions of hemicellulose and lignin. Carrots contain almost no starch. Free sugars in carrot include sucrose, glucose, xylose and fructose. Nitrite and nitrate contents are about 40 and 0.41 milligrams per 100 grams (fresh), respectively. Most of the taste of the vegetable is due to glutamic acid and other free amino acids. Other acids present in trace amounts include succinic acid, α-ketoglutaric acid, lactic acid and glycolic acid; the major phenolic acid is caffeic acid. The carrot gets its characteristic and bright orange colour from β-carotene, and lesser amounts of α-carotene and γ-carotene. α and β-carotenes are partly metabolised into vitamin A in humans. β-carotene is the predominant carotenoid, although there are lesser amounts of α-carotene and γ-carotene. There are typically between 6000 and 54,000 micrograms of carotenoids per 100 grams of carrot root. Carrot extracts are used by poultry producers to improve animal skin and alter the colour of egg yolk. Massive overconsumption of carrots can cause carotenosis, a benign condition in which the skin turns orange. Carrots are also rich in antioxidants and minerals. Ethnomedically, the roots are used to as an emmenagogue (to increase blood flow in the pelvic area and uterus), a carminative (to reduce flatulence), to treat digestive problems, intestinal parasites, and tonsillitis or constipation. Lack of vitamin A can cause poor vision, including night vision, and these can be restored by adding vitamin A to the diet. An urban legend states that eating large quantities of carrots will allow one to see in the dark. This myth developed from stories about British gunners in World War II, who were able to shoot down German planes at night. The rumour arose during the Battle of Britain when the RAF circulated a story about their pilots' carrot consumption in an attempt to cover up the discovery and effective use of radar technologies in engaging enemy planes, as well as the use of red light (which does not destroy night vision) in aircraft instruments. It reinforced existing German beliefs, and helped to encourage Britons who were trying to improve their night vision during the blackout to grow and eat the vegetable, which was not rationed like most other foodstuffs. A "Dr. Carrot" advertising campaign encouraged its consumption. |