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Dear list members, During my PhD research on medieval food recipes and cooking I came about the vague description of a red variety of carrot. The source (Le Mesnagier de Paris) is french, very late 14th century, and the author mentions that in Paris there are sold red carrots by the bunch, each bunch containing at least one white root. As I am not a botanist, I have several questions: 1. Could the white carrot per bunch be a sign, that the "breed" was not stable yet and relatively new? 2. When do red carrots first appear and what other colours are mentioned before 1600? 3. Where could the origin of this kind be? 4. Do you know any modern varieties that are close to the description? Would it be viable to use one of those in the collection of the IPK Gatersleben for my cooking experiments? 5. Where can I get more information on the evolution of cultivated carrots? Also the same source holds a description of a kind of spinach that has long and broad leafs formed like those of oaks. Is there any variety still available that fits the description? The author himself writes, that spinach is a new product "recently" introduced into France from Spain. Thanks for your help, with kind regards, Andreas Klumpp