The Short Version
This popular claim contains grains of truth but distorts the full picture. Wild carrots were originally white or pale yellow — purple only appeared after domestication around 5,000 years ago, alongside yellow varieties. Orange carrots emerged in 15th–16th century Western Europe likely from white/yellow crosses, not from purple stock. Dutch growers did play an important role in refining and popularizing orange varieties, but calling them the sole creators overstates the evidence. The claim collapses a complex history into an oversimplified narrative.