Editing Beetroot

{{Short description|Taproot portion of the beet plant}}
{{Redirect|Beets}}
{{Redirect|Beet|the plant species and its numerous varieties|Beta vulgaris|other uses}}
{{Infobox cultivar
| name = Beetroot
| image = Detroitdarkredbeets.png
| image_caption = Beetroots on the stem
| species = ''[[Beta vulgaris]]''
| subspecies =''Beta vulgaris'' subsp. ''vulgaris''
| group = '''Conditiva Group'''
| origin = [[Sea beet|Sea beet (''Beta vulgaris'' subsp. ''maritima'')]]
| subdivision = Many; see text.
}}

The '''beetroot''' ([[British English]]) or '''beet''' ([[North American English]]) is the [[taproot]] portion of a ''[[Beta vulgaris]]'' subsp. ''vulgaris'' plant in the Conditiva [[Cultivar group|Group]].<ref>"beet". def. 1 and 2. also "beet-root." ''Oxford English Dictionary'' Second Edition on CD-ROM (v. 4.0) © Oxford University Press 2009</ref> The plant is a [[root vegetable]] also known as the '''table beet''', '''garden beet''', '''dinner beet''', or else categorized by color: '''red beet''' or '''golden beet'''. It is also a [[leaf vegetable]] called '''beet greens'''. Beetroot can be eaten raw, roasted, steamed, or boiled. Beetroot can also be canned, either whole or cut up, and often are pickled, spiced, or served in a sweet-and-sour sauce.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2024-05-05 |title=Beet {{!}} Description, Root, Leaf, Nutrition, & Facts  |url=https://www.britannica.com/plant/beet |access-date=2024-05-17 |website=[[Encyclopædia Britannica]] |language=en}}</ref>

It is one of several cultivated varieties of ''Beta vulgaris'' subsp. ''vulgaris'' grown for their edible taproots or leaves, [[Taxonomy (biology)|classified]] as belonging to the Conditiva [[Cultivar group|Group]].<ref name=MMPND>{{Cite web |title=Sorting Beta names |url=http://www.plantnames.unimelb.edu.au/Sorting/Beta.html |work=Multilingual Multiscript Plant Name Database |publisher=The University of Melbourne |access-date=2013-04-15 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130504173112/http://www.plantnames.unimelb.edu.au/Sorting/Beta.html |archive-date=2013-05-04 |url-status=dead }}</ref> Other cultivars of the same subspecies include the [[sugar beet]], the leaf vegetable known as spinach beet (Swiss [[chard]]), and the [[fodder]] crop [[mangelwurzel]].

==Etymology==
''Beta'' is the ancient Latin name for beetroot,<ref name="gledhill">Gledhill, David (2008). "The Names of Plants". Cambridge University Press. {{ISBN|9780521866453}} (hardback), {{ISBN|9780521685535}} (paperback).  pp 70</ref> possibly of [[Celts|Celtic origin]], becoming ''bete'' in [[Old English]].<ref>{{cite web|title=Beet|url=http://www.etymonline.com/index.php?allowed_in_frame=0&search=beet|publisher=Online Etymology Dictionary, Douglas Harper|access-date=25 April 2017|date=2017}}</ref> ''Root'' derives from the late Old English ''rōt'', itself from [[Old Norse]] ''rót''.<ref>{{Cite web | url=https://en.oxforddictionaries.com/definition/root | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160927105035/https://en.oxforddictionaries.com/definition/root | url-status=dead | archive-date=September 27, 2016 |title = Root &#124; Meaning of Root by Lexico}}</ref>

==History==
The domestication of beetroot can be traced to the emergence of an [[allele]] that enables [[biennial plant|biennial]] harvesting of leaves and taproot.<ref>{{Cite journal|last1=Pin|first1=Pierre A.|last2=Zhang|first2=Wenying|last3=Vogt|first3=Sebastian H.|last4=Dally|first4=Nadine|last5=Büttner|first5=Bianca|last6=Schulze-Buxloh|first6=Gretel|last7=Jelly|first7=Noémie S.|last8=Chia|first8=Tansy Y. P.|last9=Mutasa-Göttgens|first9=Effie S.|display-authors=3|date=2012-06-19|title=The Role of a Pseudo-Response Regulator Gene in Life Cycle Adaptation and Domestication of Beet|journal=Current Biology|language=en|volume=22|issue=12|pages=1095–1101|doi=10.1016/j.cub.2012.04.007|issn=0960-9822|pmid=22608508|doi-access=free|bibcode=2012CBio...22.1095P |hdl=11858/00-001M-0000-000E-F07C-6|hdl-access=free}}</ref> Beetroot was domesticated in the ancient Middle East, primarily for their greens, and were grown by the Ancient Egyptians, Greeks, and Romans. By the Roman era, it is thought that they were also cultivated for their roots. From the [[Middle Ages]], beetroot was used to treat various conditions, especially illnesses relating to digestion and the blood. [[Bartolomeo Platina]] recommended taking beetroot with [[garlic]] to nullify the effects of "garlic-breath".<ref>[[Bartolomeo Platina|Platina]] ''[[De honesta voluptate et valetudine]]'', 3.14</ref>

During the middle of the 17th century, [[wine]] often was colored with beetroot juice.<ref>Nilsson ''et al.'' (1970). "Studies into the pigments in beetroot (''Beta vulgaris'' L. ssp. ''vulgaris'' var. ''rubra'' L.)"</ref>

Food shortages in Europe [[Aftermath of World War I|following World War I]] caused great hardships, including cases of ''[[mangelwurzel]]'' disease, as relief workers called it. It was symptomatic of eating only beetroot.<ref>{{cite book|last=MacMillan|first=Margaret Olwen|title=Paris 1919: Six Months That Changed the World|title-link=Paris 1919: Six Months That Changed the World|publisher=[[Random House]]|year=2002|isbn=978-0375508264|edition=1st U.S.|location=New York|page=[https://archive.org/details/paris1919sixmont00macm/page/60 60]|chapter=We are the League of the People|lccn=2002023707|quote=Relief workers invented names for things they had never seen before, such as the mangelwurzel disease, which afflicted those who lived solely on beetroot.|author-link=Margaret MacMillan|orig-year=2001}}</ref>

Beetroot was grown in many a [[victory garden]] during [[World War II]], in part because the species was seen as an indicator of [[soil pH]] with good growth a sign that soil acidity was not too strong.<ref>https://archive.org/details/sim_consumer-reports_1942-04_7_4/page/94/mode/2up Gardens for Victory, Consumer Reports, April 1942, p. 94.</ref>

==Culinary use==
{{nutritionalvalue | name=Beetroot, raw
| water=87.58g
| kJ= 180 
| protein=1.61 g
| fat=0.17 g
| carbs=9.56 g
| fiber=2.8 g
| sugars=6.76 g
| calcium_mg=16
| iron_mg=0.8
| magnesium_mg=23
| phosphorus_mg=40
| potassium_mg=325
| sodium_mg=78
| zinc_mg=0.35
| manganese_mg=0.329
| vitC_mg=4.9
| pantothenic_mg=0.155
| vitB6_mg=0.067
| folate_ug=109
| thiamin_mg=0.031
| riboflavin_mg=0.04
| niacin_mg=0.334
| vitA_ug = 2
| betacarotene_ug=20
| source_usda=1
| note=[https://fdc.nal.usda.gov/fdc-app.html#/food-details/169145/nutrients Link to USDA Database entry]
}}

Usually, the deep purple roots of beetroot are eaten boiled, roasted, or raw, and either alone or combined with any salad vegetable. The green, leafy portion of the beetroot is also edible. The young leaves can be added raw to salads, while the mature leaves are most commonly served boiled or steamed, in which case they have a taste and texture similar to [[spinach]]. Beetroot can be roasted, boiled or steamed, peeled, and then eaten warm with or without butter; cooked, pickled, and then eaten cold as a [[condiment]]; or peeled, shredded raw, and then eaten as a salad. Pickled beetroot is a traditional food in many countries.{{Citation needed|date=February 2024}}

=== Australia and New Zealand ===

In [[Australia]] and [[New Zealand]], sliced pickled beetroot is a common ingredient in traditional [[Hamburger#Australia and New Zealand|hamburgers]].<ref>{{cite web|website=Snot Block & Roll|title=Grill'd (burger), Crows Nest|first=David|last=Morgan-Mar|date=17 July 2015|publisher=[[WordPress]]|url=https://www.mezzacotta.net/blockandroll/2015/07/17/grilld-burger/}}</ref>

=== Eastern Europe ===
In [[Eastern European cuisine|Eastern Europe]], beetroot soup, such as [[borscht]] [Ukrainian] and barszcz czerwony [Polish], is common. In [[Ukrainian cuisine|Ukraine]], a related dish called "shpundra" is also common; this hearty beetroot stew, often made with pork belly or ribs, is sometimes referred to as a thicker version of [[borscht]]. In [[Polish cuisine|Poland]] and [[Ukrainian cuisine|Ukraine]], beetroot is combined with [[horseradish]] to form ''ćwikła'' or ''бурячки'' (buryachky), which is traditionally used with cold cuts and sandwiches, but often also added to a meal consisting of meat and potatoes.

Similarly, in [[Serbian cuisine|Serbia]], beetroot (referred to by the local name ''cvekla'') is used as winter salad, seasoned with salt and vinegar, with meat dishes.

As an addition to horseradish, it is also used to produce the "red" variety of ''[[chrain]]'', a condiment in [[Jewish cuisine|Ashkenazi Jewish]], [[Hungarian cuisine|Hungarian]], [[Polish cuisine|Polish]], [[Lithuanian cuisine|Lithuanian]], [[Russian cuisine|Russian]], and [[Ukrainian cuisine|Ukrainian]] cuisine.

Cold beetroot soup called "Šaltibarščiai" is very popular in Lithuania. Traditionally it consists of kefir, boiled beetroot, cucumber, dill, spring onions and can be eaten with boiled eggs and potatoes.{{Citation needed|date=February 2024}}

{{ill|Botvinya|ru|Ботвинья}} is an old-time traditional Russian [[cold soup]] made from leftover beet greens and chopped beetroots, typically with bread and [[kvass]] added. Botvinya got its name from the Russian ''botva'', which means "root vegetable greens", referring to beet plant leaves.

{{ill|Svekolnik|ru|Свекольник}}, or [[Russian cuisine#Cold soups|svyokolnik]], is yet another Russian beet-based soup, typically distinguished from borscht in that vegetables for svekolnik are cooked raw and not sauteed, while many types of borscht typically include sauteed carrots and other vegetables. Svekolnik got its name from ''svyokla'', Russian word for "beet." Sometimes, various types of cold borscht are also called "svekolnik".{{Citation needed|date=February 2024}}

=== India ===
In [[Indian cuisine]], chopped, cooked, spiced beetroot is a common side dish. Yellow-colored beetroots are grown on a very small scale for home consumption.<ref name="prota">Grubben, G.J.H. & Denton, O.A. (2004) Plant Resources of Tropical Africa 2. Vegetables. PROTA Foundation, Wageningen; Backhuys, Leiden; CTA, Wageningen.</ref>

=== North America ===
Besides standard fruit and vegetable dishes, certain varieties of beets are sometimes used as a garnish to a [[tart]].<ref>{{cite book |last1=Ko |first1=Lauren |title=Pieometry : modern tart art and pie design for the eye and the palate |date=2020 |location=New York, NY |isbn=9780062911230 |edition=First}}</ref>

=== Northern Europe ===
A common dish in Sweden and elsewhere in the Nordic countries is [[Biff à la Lindström]], a variant of meatballs or burgers, with chopped or grated beetroot added to the [[Ground meat|minced meat]].<ref>{{cite news |title=Historien om biff à la Lindström |url=https://www.aftonbladet.se/matdryck/a/VRaJbp/historien-om-biff-a-la-lindstrom |access-date=21 September 2020 |publisher=Aftonbladet |language=sv}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Lindströmin pihvit ja lihapullat ovat koko kansan klassikoita |url=https://kotiliesi.fi/ruoka/lindstromin-pihvit-lihapullat-kansan-klassikoita/ |website=Kotiliesi.fi |date=24 September 2011 |access-date=21 September 2020 |language=fi}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Biff à la Lindström—beef patties with debated origins |url=http://swedishspoon.com/lindstrom/ |website=Swedish Spoon |date=5 November 2019 |access-date=21 September 2020}}</ref>

In [[Northern Germany]], beetroot is mashed with ''[[Labskaus]]'' or added as its side order.<ref name=Spiegel>[http://www.spiegel.de/reise/deutschland/0,1518,712521,00.html SPIEGEL Online on Labskaus in Hamburg] (German), [[Der Spiegel]]</ref><ref name="ndr">[https://www.ndr.de/ratgeber/kochen/rezepte/rezeptdb6_id-11326_broadcast-1514_station-ndrtv.html Labskaus mit Rote-Bete-Salat]  (German), recipe at [[Norddeutscher Rundfunk|NDR]]</ref>

== Industrial production and other uses ==
A large proportion of commercial production is processed into boiled and sterilized beetroot or [[Pickling|pickles]].

[[Betanin]], obtained from the roots, is used industrially as red [[Food coloring|food colorant]] to enhance the color and flavor of [[tomato paste]], sauces, desserts, [[jam]]s and jellies, [[ice cream]], candy, and [[breakfast cereal]]s.<ref name="prota" /> When beetroot juice is used, it is most stable in foods with low water content, such as frozen novelties and fruit fillings.<ref>{{cite book|last=Francis|first=F.J.|url=https://archive.org/details/colorants0000fran|title=Colorants|publisher=Egan Press|year=1999|isbn=978-1-891127-00-7|url-access=registration}}</ref>

Beetroot can be used to make wine.<ref>''Making Wild Wines & Meads''; Pattie Vargas & Rich Gulling; page 73</ref>

==Nutrition==
Raw beetroot is 88% water, 10% [[carbohydrates]], 2% [[protein]], and less than 1% [[fat]] (see table). In a {{convert|100|g|oz|frac=2|abbr=off|adj=on}} amount providing {{convert|43|kcal|kJ|order=flip|abbr=off}} of [[food energy]], raw beetroot is a rich source (27% of the [[Daily Value]] (DV)) of [[folate]] and a moderate source (16% DV) of [[manganese]], with other nutrients having insignificant content (table).<ref>{{cite web|url=https://fdc.nal.usda.gov/fdc-app.html#/food-details/169145/nutrients |title=Nutrient data for beetroot, raw per 100 g |date=2016 |publisher= United States Department of Agriculture, National Nutrient Database, release SR-28|access-date=20 March 2017}}</ref>

===Health effects===
A clinical trial review reported that consumption of beetroot juice modestly reduced systolic [[blood pressure]] but not diastolic blood pressure.<ref>{{Cite journal | last1 = Siervo | first1 = M | last2 = Lara | first2 = J | last3 = Ogbonmwan | first3 = I | last4 = Mathers | first4 = JC | title = Inorganic Nitrate and Beetroot Juice Supplementation Reduces Blood Pressure in Adults: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis | doi = 10.3945/jn.112.170233 | journal = Journal of Nutrition |volume = 143 |issue = 6 |pages = 818–26 |year = 2013 |pmid = 23596162 |doi-access = free }}</ref>

==Pigment==
The red color compound [[betanin]] is a [[betalain]] in the category of [[betacyanins]]. It is not broken down in the body, and in higher concentrations, may temporarily cause urine or stools to assume a reddish color, in the case of urine a condition called [[beeturia]].<ref>{{Cite journal | pmid = 15964200| year = 2005| last1 = Frank| first1 = T| title = Urinary pharmacokinetics of betalains following consumption of red beet juice in healthy humans| journal = Pharmacological Research| volume = 52| issue = 4| pages = 290–7| last2 = Stintzing| first2 = F. C.| last3 = Carle| first3 = R| last4 = Bitsch| first4 = I| last5 = Quaas| first5 = D| last6 = Strass| first6 = G| last7 = Bitsch| first7 = R| last8 = Netzel| first8 = M|display-authors=3| doi = 10.1016/j.phrs.2005.04.005}}</ref>

Although harmless, this effect may cause initial concern as a medical problem due to a visual similarity with [[blood in stool|blood in the stool]], blood passing through the anus ([[hematochezia]]), or blood in the urine ([[hematuria]]).<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/urine-color/basics/causes/con-20032831 |title=Urine color |publisher=Mayo Clinic, Patient Care and Health Information, Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research |date=2016|access-date=27 December 2016}}</ref>

[[Nitrosamine]] formation in beetroot juice can reliably be prevented by adding [[ascorbic acid]].<ref name=pmid9146735>{{cite journal | vauthors = Kolb E, Haug M, Janzowski C, Vetter A, Eisenbrand G |display-authors=3| title = Potential nitrosamine formation and its prevention during biological denitrification of red beet juice | journal = Food and Chemical Toxicology | volume = 35 | issue = 2 | pages = 219–24 | year = 1997 | pmid = 9146735 | doi = 10.1016/s0278-6915(96)00099-3}}</ref>

==Cultivars==
Below is a list of several commonly available [[cultivar]]s of beetroot. Generally, 55 to 65 days are needed from germination to harvest of the root. All cultivars can be harvested earlier for use as greens. Unless otherwise noted, the root colors are shades of red and dark red, with different degrees of zoning noticeable in slices.

{{columns-list|colwidth=30em|
* 'Action', gained the [[Royal Horticultural Society|RHS]]'s [[Award of Garden Merit]] (AGM) in 1993.<ref name= "RHSveg" >{{cite web |url=https://www.rhs.org.uk/plants/pdfs/agm-lists/agm-fruit-and-vegetables.pdf |title=AGM Plants © RHS – CROPS BEETROOT |author=<!--Not stated--> |date=November 2018 |publisher=Royal Horticultural Society |access-date=21 November 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180805203509/https://www.rhs.org.uk/plants/pdfs/agm-lists/agm-fruit-and-vegetables.pdf |archive-date=5 August 2018 |url-status=dead }}</ref>
* 'Albino', [[Heirloom plant|heirloom]] (white root)
* 'Alto', [[Award of Garden Merit|AGM]], 2005.<ref name= "RHSveg" />
* 'Bettollo', [[Award of Garden Merit|AGM]], 2016.<ref name= "RHSveg" />
* 'Boltardy', [[Award of Garden Merit|AGM]], 1993.<ref name= "RHSveg" />
* 'Bona', [[Award of Garden Merit|AGM]], 2016.<ref name= "RHSveg" />
* 'Boro', [[Award of Garden Merit|AGM]], 2005.<ref name= "RHSveg" />
* 'Bull's Blood', heirloom<ref>{{cite web|url = http://www.specialtyproduce.com/produce/Baby_Bulls_Blood_Beets_4565.php | title = Baby Bulls Blood Beets Information | access-date = 19 March 2018}}</ref>
* 'Cheltenham Green Top', [[Award of Garden Merit|AGM]], 1993.<ref name= "RHSveg" />
* 'Chioggia,' heirloom (distinct red and white zoned root)<ref name=dummies>{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=2uAnbybOEOkC&q=beetroot+varieties&pg=PT223|title=Growing Your Own Fruit and Veg For Dummies|last=Stebbings|first=Geoff|publisher=John Wiley & Sons|year=2010|isbn=9781119992233|language=en|access-date=31 July 2018|via=Google Books}}</ref> 
* 'Crosby's Egyptian,' heirloom
* 'Cylindra' / 'Formanova,' heirloom (elongated root)<ref name=dummies/>
* 'Detroit Dark Red Medium Top,' heirloom
* 'Early Wonder', heirloom
* 'Forono', [[Award of Garden Merit|AGM]], 1993.<ref name= "RHSveg" />
* 'Golden Beet' / 'Burpee's Golden', heirloom (yellow root)<ref name=dummies/>
* 'MacGregor's Favorite', an heirloom carrot-shaped beetroot
* 'Pablo', [[Award of Garden Merit|AGM]], 1993.<ref name= "RHSveg" />
* 'Perfected Detroit', 1934 [[All-America Selections|AAS]] winner<ref>{{cite web|url = http://all-americaselections.org/product/beet-perfected-detroit | title = AAS Beet Perfected Detroit | date = June 2016 | access-date = 20 August 2017}}</ref>
* 'Red Ace', hybrid, [[Award of Garden Merit|AGM]], 2001.<ref name= "RHSveg" />
* 'Rubidus', [[Award of Garden Merit|AGM]], 2005.<ref name= "RHSveg" />
* 'Ruby Queen', 1957 AAS winner<ref>{{cite web|url = http://all-americaselections.org/product/beet-ruby-queen | title = AAS Beet Ruby Queen | date = 17 August 2016 | access-date = 20 August 2017}}</ref>
* 'Solo', [[Award of Garden Merit|AGM]], 2005.<ref name= "RHSveg" />
* 'Touchstone Gold', (yellow root)
* 'Wodan', [[Award of Garden Merit|AGM]], 1993.<ref name= "RHSveg" />
}}

==Gallery==
<gallery mode="packed">
File:Beets-Bundle.jpg|A bundle of beetroot
File:Rote Bete eine Haelfte.jpg|Section through taproot
File:A basket of Beetroot.jpg
File:Gelbe Bete Randen Beetroot.jpg|Yellow beetroot
File:Borscht served.jpg|[[Borscht]]
File:Salad of grated beet and apple C IMG 4352.JPG|Salad of grated beetroot and apple
File:Christmas foods (5300034752).jpg|Finnish ''[[rosolli]]''
File:Rote Beete - sauer eingelegt (8987-89).jpg|Sliced, pickled beetroot
File:Chrain3.jpg|Red ''[[chrain]]'' is made with beetroot.
File:Beet juice-01.jpg|Beetroot juice
File:Uncommon beetroot colours.jpg|Golden, red, and white beetroots (left to right)
File:Roasted beetroot.jpg|Roasted beetroot
File:Beetroot jm27942.jpg|Root and cross-section of cultivar 'Chioggia'
File:Beetroot jm27944.jpg|Root and cross-section of a yellow cultivar
File:Chioggiabeettart.jpg|Chioggia beet tart
Ємність для хріну(хрінничка).jpg|Grated [[horseradish]] with beetroot
</gallery>

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
{{Cookbook|Beet}}
* {{commons category-inline|Beetroot}}

{{Authority control}}

[[Category:Beta (plant)]]
[[Category:Leaf vegetables]]
[[Category:Root vegetables]]