{{Short description|Vegetable}} {{Redirect|Beet|the plant species and its numerous varieties|Beta vulgaris|other uses|Beet (disambiguation)|and|Beets (disambiguation)}} {{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 (''Beta vulgaris'' subsp. ''maritima'') | subdivision = Many; see text. }}
'''Beetroot''' or '''beet'''{{efn|'''beetroot''' in British English, '''beet''' in 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''', or dinner beet, or else categorized by color as '''red beet''' or golden beet. Its leaves constitute a leaf vegetable called '''beet greens'''. It is native to the Azores, Western Europe to the Mediterranean and India.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2025-10-29 |title=Beta vulgaris L. |url=https://powo.science.kew.org/taxon/urn:lsid:ipni.org:names:164505-1}}</ref> 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 |archive-date=2017-02-23 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170223214806/https://www.britannica.com/plant/beet |url-status=live }}</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>{{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">{{Cite book |last=Gledhill |first=David |title=The Names of Plants |publisher=Cambridge University Press |year=2008 |isbn=9780521866453 |page=70}}</ref> possibly of Celtic origin, becoming {{lang|ang|bete}} in Old English.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2017 |title=Beet |url=http://www.etymonline.com/index.php?allowed_in_frame=0&search=beet |access-date=25 April 2017 |website=Online Etymology Dictionary |first=Douglas |last=Harper |archive-date=26 April 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170426062245/http://www.etymonline.com/index.php?allowed_in_frame=0&search=beet |url-status=live }}</ref> ''Root'' derives from the late Old English {{lang|ang|rōt}}, itself from Old Norse {{lang|non|rót}}.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Root |url=https://en.oxforddictionaries.com/definition/root |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160927105035/https://en.oxforddictionaries.com/definition/root |archive-date=September 27, 2016 |website=Oxford Dictionaries}}</ref>
==History== The domestication of beetroot can be traced to the emergence of an allele that enables 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>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>{{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 victory gardens 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>{{cite web|url=https://archive.org/details/sim_consumer-reports_1942-04_7_4/page/94/mode/2up|title=Gardens for Victory, Consumer Reports|date=April 1942|page=94|website=Archive.org|access-date=31 May 2026}}</ref>
==Archaeology== The archaeological record for beet is sparse. Identifying the recovered remains is a complicated endeavor given the morphological similarities between charred domestic and wild fruits. However, written records offer more clarity; some date back to the eighth century BC in Babylonia. By the first century BC, both Roman and Jewish texts suggest beetroots were present in the Mediterranean. Physical specimens have been found in the Third-Dynasty Saqqara pyramid at Memphis in Egypt and in the Netherlands in a Neolithic site. Charred remains from Roman sites in Germany are more significant, since they provide strong physical evidence of evidence-based domestication.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Zohary |first1=Daniel |last2=Hopf |first2=Maria |last3=Weiss |first3=Ehud |title=Domestication of Plants in the Old World |date=2012 |publisher=Oxford University Press |isbn=978-0199688173 |page=160 |edition=Fourth}}</ref> ==Culinary use== 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 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/|access-date=3 July 2024|archive-date=24 December 2024|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20241224140923/https://www.mezzacotta.net/blockandroll/2015/07/17/grilld-burger/|url-status=live}}</ref>
=== Eastern Europe === 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 eaten 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 a 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 ''ŝaltibarščiai'' is often eaten 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 a 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 svyokolnik, is yet another Russian beet-based soup, typically distinguished from borscht in that vegetables for svekolnik are cooked raw and not sautéed, while many types of borscht typically include sautéed carrots and other vegetables. Svekolnik got its name from ''svyokla'', the 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 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 |archive-date=4 June 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220604002851/https://www.aftonbladet.se/matdryck/a/VRaJbp/historien-om-biff-a-la-lindstrom |url-status=live }}</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 |archive-date=30 August 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210830032530/https://kotiliesi.fi/ruoka/lindstromin-pihvit-lihapullat-kansan-klassikoita/ |url-status=live }}</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 |archive-date=2 March 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210302233929/http://swedishspoon.com/lindstrom/ |url-status=live }}</ref> Swedish pyttipanna is also traditionally served with pickled beetroot.
In Northern Germany, beetroot is mashed with ''Labskaus'' or added as its side dish.<ref name=Spiegel>[http://www.spiegel.de/reise/deutschland/0,1518,712521,00.html SPIEGEL Online on Labskaus in Hamburg] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120520002012/http://www.spiegel.de/reise/deutschland/0,1518,712521,00.html |date=2012-05-20 }} (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] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240719041727/https://www.ndr.de/ratgeber/kochen/rezepte/rezeptdb6_id-11326_broadcast-1514_station-ndrtv.html |date=2024-07-19 }} (German), recipe at NDR</ref>
== Industrial production and other uses == 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>{{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== {{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 | copper_mg=0.075 | 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 | note=[https://fdc.nal.usda.gov/food-details/169145/nutrients Link to USDA Database entry] }} Raw beetroot is 88% water, 10% carbohydrates, 2% protein, and less than 1% fat. In a {{convert|100|g|oz|frac=2|abbr=off|adj=on}} amount providing 43 calories of food energy, raw beetroot is a rich source (27% of the Daily Value, DV) of folate and a moderate source of manganese and potassium (11-14% DV), with other micronutrients at low content (table).
===Nitrate=== Beets tend to accumulate nitrates from soil. Excessive nitrates pose a risk to health because they can be converted into nitrosamine in the human stomach. On the other hand, an appropriate amount of nitrates is responsible for the blood-pressure-lowering effect of beetroot juice (see above) and possible other health benefits. In any case, it would be desirable to have a way to remove excess nitrates from beetroot juice.<ref name=Walkowiak12>{{cite journal |last1=Walkowiak-Tomczak |first1=Dorota |title=Biodenitrification of concentrated red beet juice |journal=European Food Research and Technology |date=October 2012 |volume=235 |issue=4 |pages=693–698 |doi=10.1007/s00217-012-1792-x|doi-access=free }}</ref>
''Paracoccus denitrificans'' (Pd) bacterium can break down the nitrates, but an intermediate of the breakdown is nitrite, which leads to a risk of nitrosamine formation during denitrification by Pd. Adding ascorbic acid prevents nitrosamine formation in this bacterial process, ensuring safe removal of nitrates.<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> Denitrifying concentrated beet juice requires halophilic bacteria due to the higher osmotic concentration, with ''Nesterenkonia halobia'' (formerly ''Micrococcus halobius'') being the most efficient out of three species tested.<ref name=Walkowiak12/>
==Pigment== The red color compound betanin is a betalain in the category of betacyanins. It is not broken down in the body, but excreted in urine and stools.<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>
In higher concentrations, this may temporarily cause urine or stools to assume a reddish color, in the case of urine a condition called beeturia.<ref name="sauder">{{cite web |author1=Sauder HM, Rawla P |title=Beeturia |url=https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK537012/ |publisher=StatPearls, US National Library of Medicine |access-date=29 May 2024 |date=22 May 2023 |pmid=30725697 }}</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>{{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 |archive-date=14 September 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170914164150/http://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/urine-color/basics/causes/CON-20032831 |url-status=live }}</ref>
==Cultivars== 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.
{{columns-list|colwidth=30em| * 'Action', gained the 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 (white root) * 'Alto', AGM, 2005.<ref name= "RHSveg" /> * 'Bettollo', AGM, 2016.<ref name= "RHSveg" /> * 'Boltardy', AGM, 1993.<ref name= "RHSveg" /> * 'Bona', AGM, 2016.<ref name= "RHSveg" /> * 'Boro', 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 |archive-date = 8 February 2018 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20180208111058/http://www.specialtyproduce.com/produce/Baby_Bulls_Blood_Beets_4565.php |url-status = live }}</ref> * 'Cheltenham Green Top', 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', 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', AGM, 1993.<ref name= "RHSveg" /> * 'Perfected Detroit', 1934 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 | archive-date = 21 August 2017 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20170821050902/http://all-americaselections.org/product/beet-perfected-detroit | url-status = live }}</ref> * 'Red Ace', hybrid, AGM, 2001.<ref name= "RHSveg" /> * 'Rubidus', 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 | archive-date = 21 August 2017 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20170821050904/http://all-americaselections.org/product/beet-ruby-queen | url-status = live }}</ref> * 'Solo', AGM, 2005.<ref name= "RHSveg" /> * 'Touchstone Gold', (yellow root) * 'Wodan', 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 File:Ємність для хріну(хрінничка).jpg|Grated horseradish with beetroot </gallery>
== Notes == {{notelist}}
== References == {{Reflist}}
==External links== {{Cookbook|Beet}} * {{commons category-inline|Beetroot}}
{{Authority control}}
Category:Beta (plant) Category:Leaf vegetables Category:Root vegetables