Two years ago if anyone told me that there was such a thing as black carrots, I would be flabbergasted. Yet here I am today completely enamored by these black beauties as they captivate my heart and steal the very words from my mouth leaving me all but speechless. These are Pusa Asita Carrots which I grew from seeds I purchased at Baker Creek last March.

These seeds did remarkably well in my 6b zone with a roughly 60-75% germination rate which all but floored me since I read that these roots tend to favor the long, warm seasons of the south. And though annuals, if left to flower these carrots will gladly reseed themselves which may not be such a bad thing given that they are such unlikely rare commodities.

Developed by Pritam Kalia, the Pusa Asita Black Carrot was bred along with other vegetables in an attempt to bridge India’s gap in nutritional poverty between the haves and the have-nots. The result? A masterpiece of nutrition as this carrot surely does not disappoint.

Of the five carrot varieties I grew, none were labeled. Needless to say that if they were playing a game of hide and go seek, the Pusas would have surely been caught as their brilliantly lush, violet hued leaves and stems standing well over a foot tall charmed all who passed by and looked their way. These tell-tale signs of antioxidant power encumbered in each root combats free radicals and help reduce the risk of certain cancers and heart disease.

Pusa Asita boasts a rich carrot taste, more so than any of its other colored brothers and sisters. Eating them raw will surely be a delight to your tongue and mouth as it was for mine; the sweet, slightly spicy taste continued its dance on my tongue for several minutes after I consumed them. However, their intense color has a tendency of bleeding into food or anything else it comes into contact with as if to leave a lasting sign that “Pusa was here!”

Growing these seeds reminded me once more of the beauty in diversity and the importance of growing my own if for nothing else but their nutrition. Go ahead and give the Pusa Asita Black Carrot a try, I promise you will not regret it.