North Cyprus Vegetables - Siyah Havuç

Black carrots, or as they are know in Turkish - Siyah Havuç. Black and purple carrots originate from Turkey and the Middle East, and are very good for reducing bad cholesterol (LDL). Black carrots are something you may have never seen before, as we know carrots to be orange, but in fact, the black carrot was around for around 5,000 years before the orange carrot became established in the 16th Century. Black and Purple carrots were taken to the western world, but they did not survive very well in the cold conditions. However, some mutant yellow carrots grew from the black variety when planted in the west, and it is thought that these yellow carrots crossed with the wild carrot actually created the orange carrot which we know today.


Black carrots are extremely good for your health, as their concentrated juice contains around 12 times more antioxidants (cancer fighter) than orange carrots. They also are good for lowering bad cholesterol and keeping skin, hair and eyes healthy. In Turkey, they crush the carrots to make black carrot juice, which is said to be good for cleaning the blood, rich in vitamin A, B and C, aids digestion and is good for anemia due to its high iron content. You should limit yourself to one glass a day, ideally with or after a meal. You can buy the juice here in North Cyprus in most supermarkets.

Turkish Black Carrot Juice

You can use black carrots in every way that you would use an orange carrot, you can eat them raw, use them in stews and casseroles or eat with roast dinners. Black carrots are often also used for their natural food colouring ability, and have been used to add colouring and flavour to many different foods and drinks including energy drinks, fruit products, tea, yoghurts, sweets, ice-cream, alcohol, various cosmetics and even breakfast cereals.