The fruits and vegetables in your pantry barely resemble their ancestors. Business Insider took a look at what some of our favorite foods looked like before they were domesticated.
The wild carrot, which was cultivated around the 10th century, had a purple or white color and was very thin. It barely resembles the modern carrot we all know.
The wild eggplant had sharp spines on the top that connected to the flower. They also grew in several colors, including yellow and blue. The modern eggplant is purple and lacks the spines of its ancestor.
Wild corn was first domesticated in 7000 BC and was as dry as a potato. Modern corn is 1,000 times larger and much easier to eat. The changes happened when European settlers started farming around the 15th century, according to Business Insider.
The wild watermelon had a swirled pattern of seeds. Modern watermelon has a much brighter red center and often has no black seeds.
The wild banana is believed to have been first cultivated 7,000 years ago in Papua New Guinea and had large seeds inside its tough middle. Modern bananas are bright yellow and lack seeds.
