The word "selection" might sound a bit scary for some people, but it's generally a good thing - it has helped people a lot, so now we can eat lots of delicious fruits and vegetables.
In fact, most popular vegetables used to look (and taste) completely different - they were small, tough, and generally not that tasty.
Here are a few examples of vegetables that used to be completely different, and changed for the best.
Carrots weren't orange
Originally, carrots were not orange; they were purple or white.
People liked the orange ones more, so they kept growing them. Over time, orange carrots became the most common.
Corn was small and dull
Corn used to be much smaller and not as sweet. Through selection, people made it bigger, tastier, and easier to eat.
Broccoli, cauliflower, and cabbage were just the same
These vegetables all come from the same plant, but through selection, people developed different parts of the plant to create these unique vegetables.
Wild tomatoes would've disappointed you
Wild tomatoes were tiny and not very tasty. People picked the bigger and better-tasting ones and grew them more, which led to the tomatoes we have today.
Brussels sprouts were tiny and rare
These used to be little and not very popular. Through selection, they were made bigger and tastier.
So, when people choose the vegetables they like and keep growing them, it can change how the vegetables look and taste over time.
It's like when you pick your favorite candies from a mixed bag; eventually, you end up with more of those candies because they're the ones you like the most.
