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The beetroot (British English) or beet (North American English) is the taproot portion of a Beta vulgaris subsp. vulgaris plant in the Conditiva 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>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>
It is one of several cultivated varieties of Beta vulgaris subsp. vulgaris grown for their edible taproots or leaves, classified as belonging to the Conditiva Group.<ref name=MMPND>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</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.
EtymologyEdit
Beta is the ancient Latin name for beetroot,<ref name="gledhill">Gledhill, David (2008). "The Names of Plants". Cambridge University Press. Template:ISBN (hardback), Template:ISBN (paperback). pp 70</ref> possibly of Celtic origin, becoming bete in Old English.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> Root derives from the late Old English rōt, itself from Old Norse rót.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>
HistoryEdit
The domestication of beetroot can be traced to the emergence of an allele that enables biennial harvesting of leaves and taproot.<ref>Template:Cite journal</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>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 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>Template:Cite book</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 useEdit
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.Template:Citation needed
Australia and New ZealandEdit
In Australia and New Zealand, sliced pickled beetroot is a common ingredient in traditional hamburgers.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>
Eastern EuropeEdit
In Eastern Europe, beetroot soup, such as borscht [Ukrainian] and barszcz czerwony [Polish], is common. In 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 Poland and 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 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 Ashkenazi Jewish, Hungarian, Polish, Lithuanian, Russian, and 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.Template:Citation needed
Template:Ill 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.
Template:Ill, or 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".Template:Citation needed
IndiaEdit
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 AmericaEdit
Besides standard fruit and vegetable dishes, certain varieties of beets are sometimes used as a garnish to a tart.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>
Northern EuropeEdit
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 minced meat.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>
In Northern Germany, beetroot is mashed with Labskaus or added as its side order.<ref name=Spiegel>SPIEGEL Online on Labskaus in Hamburg (German), Der Spiegel</ref><ref name="ndr">Labskaus mit Rote-Bete-Salat (German), recipe at NDR</ref>
Industrial production and other usesEdit
A large proportion of commercial production is processed into boiled and sterilized beetroot or pickles.
Betanin, obtained from the roots, is used industrially as red food colorant to enhance the color and flavor of tomato paste, sauces, desserts, jams and jellies, ice cream, candy, and breakfast cereals.<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>Template:Cite book</ref>
Beetroot can be used to make wine.<ref>Making Wild Wines & Meads; Pattie Vargas & Rich Gulling; page 73</ref>
NutritionEdit
Raw beetroot is 88% water, 10% carbohydrates, 2% protein, and less than 1% fat (see table). In a Template:Convert amount providing Template:Convert 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>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>
Health effectsEdit
A clinical trial review reported that consumption of beetroot juice modestly reduced systolic blood pressure but not diastolic blood pressure.<ref>Template:Cite journal</ref>
PigmentEdit
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>Template:Cite journal</ref>
Although harmless, this effect may cause initial concern as a medical problem due to a visual similarity with blood in the stool, blood passing through the anus (hematochezia), or blood in the urine (hematuria).<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>
Nitrosamine formation in beetroot juice can reliably be prevented by adding ascorbic acid.<ref name=pmid9146735>Template:Cite journal</ref>
CultivarsEdit
Below is a list of several commonly available cultivars 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.
GalleryEdit
- Beets-Bundle.jpg
A bundle of beetroot
- Rote Bete eine Haelfte.jpg
Section through taproot
- A basket of Beetroot.jpg
- Gelbe Bete Randen Beetroot.jpg
Yellow beetroot
- Borscht served.jpg
- Salad of grated beet and apple C IMG 4352.JPG
Salad of grated beetroot and apple
- Christmas foods (5300034752).jpg
Finnish rosolli
- Rote Beete - sauer eingelegt (8987-89).jpg
Sliced, pickled beetroot
- Chrain3.jpg
Red chrain is made with beetroot.
- Beet juice-01.jpg
Beetroot juice
- Uncommon beetroot colours.jpg
Golden, red, and white beetroots (left to right)
- Roasted beetroot.jpg
Roasted beetroot
- Beetroot jm27942.jpg
Root and cross-section of cultivar 'Chioggia'
- Beetroot jm27944.jpg
Root and cross-section of a yellow cultivar
- Chioggiabeettart.jpg
Chioggia beet tart
- Ємність для хріну(хрінничка).jpg
Grated horseradish with beetroot