Contents
This book is about an extraordinarily useful plant called Beta vulgaris. In particular, it concerns
one of this plant's cultivated forms: beetroot (beet, table or garden beet). The other cultivated forms of
Beta vulgaris are leaf beets (spinach beet and Swiss chard), fodder beet, and sugar beet.
Wild sea beet is the ancestor of all cultivated beets. It grows in coastal areas in Europe, North Africa and
Asia. The leaves of sea beet have probably been consumed since prehistoric times in Europe.
Beta vulgaris was first domesticated for its leaves and leaf stems (petioles). Cultivated
leaf beets were eaten throughout ancient times. The Greeks described colourful chards,
a special type of leaf beet with elongated, broad and fleshy leaf midribs and petioles. In Roman times,
chard was called beta.
The Romans were the first to take an interest in
the root of Beta vulgaris, which they utilized for their medicinal properties. It was not until
the sixteenth century that beetroot became known as a root vegetable. A wide range of beetroot
cultivars were bred from that time onwards. The cultivation of beet for sugar production started at the beginning
of the nineteenth century. Today, around half the world?s sugar is obtained from sugar beet. Chapter Two is about
beets in time, tracing the history of cultivated Beta vulgaris from ancient times to the present day.
The classification of Beta vulgaris is the subject of Chapter Three. Within the taxonomic system of
binomial nomenclature, established by Linnaeus, cultivated beets are currently considered to be within
the subspecies Beta vulgaris subsp. vulgaris, while ancestral sea beet is considered as
Beta vulgaris subsp. maritima. The different cultivated forms of beet are considered as distinct
varieties. A complementary horticultural scheme, however, is usually applied for within-species
(infraspecific) classification of beets. This scheme uses the concepts of cultivar and cultivar group.
The botany of Beta vulgaris is also considered in Chapter Three. Beetroot is a biennial plant grown as an
annual for its storage root. Disparities between commonly used and botanical terms are clarified. Beetroot seed, for
instance, is technically a fruit containing several true seeds.
The cultivation of Beta vulgaris is described in Chapter Four, with an emphasis on beetroot in gardens and
allotments. From sowing seed to harvest and storage, each stage of cultivation is considered. Problems due to bolting
(going to seed) and from pests and diseases are described, while ideal growing conditions are discussed. The chapter
concludes with a look at biotechnology, considering genetically-modified sugar beet and how beet cultivation may be
further modified in the future.
The characteristic colour of beetroot is investigated in Chapter Five. The pigments in beetroot, the betalains,
are restricted in distribution. Therefore, beetroot has a distinct value as a dye source and for the health benefits
arising from compounds related to these pigments. Beetroot red or betanin is extracted from beet roots on an
industrial scale for use in food products (E162 in Europe), while beetroot colouring has been used as a dye since the
sixteenth century. Betalains are usually taken up efficiently and processed in the
human body. However, some people excrete red-coloured urine after eating beetroot, due to an inability to breakdown
betanin - a condition called beeturia.
The composition of Beta vulgaris, with respect to its health and nutritional value, forms the basis of
Chapter Six. Beta vulgaris has been considered a medicinal plant since ancient times, while the
seventeenth-century herbalists ascribed many beneficial effects to its leaves and roots. Scientific
research is confirming some of the benefits derived from beetroot, although other claims for it have to be regarded
as ?old wives tales?. Beetroot juice is today advocated as a stimulant for the immune system and as a cancer
preventative.
Chapter Six concludes on a lighter note with a section on beetroot and sex. Although long associated with
rude good health, from its depiction in Pompeii?s brothels to Montgomery exhorting his troops to
?find favours in the beetroot fields?, do recent claims for beetroot?s aphrodisiac properties really stand up?
The myriad uses of Beta vulgaris in the kitchen are related in Chapter Seven. Descriptions of dishes are given
in an historical and cultural context. The first section looks at cooking with beet leaves and chard. Spinach beet
(perpetual spinach) can be cooked like spinach, for instance, while Swiss chard is good steamed and covered in sauce.
Beetroot has been a staple winter root vegetable in Central and Eastern Europe for centuries. Many of the classic
beetroot dishes originated in this region, including the most famous beetroot soup called borsch. Ukrainian borsch is
described in this chapter, along with the side dishes that traditionally accompany it. The production of smaller
globe-shaped beetroot varieties in North America and Western Europe led to beetroot?s increasing importance as a
summer salad crop.
The different ways that beetroot are used in salads, as a hot vegetable to accompany meat and fish, and in pies,
risottos and gratins are described here, in addition to methods for their preservation such as pickling. Beetroot
juice is common in health drinks and it makes a good wine. Beetroot has enjoyed a revival in recent years in Europe and
items on fashionable restaurant menus are noted throughout this chapter. A new generation of chefs has revived and
updated traditional recipes, and in the process found new ways of using beetroot.
Beetroot is one of the most commonly grown crops in gardens and allotments, and there are numerous cultivars
to choose from. Chapter Eight takes the form of a dictionary of cultivated varieties. It lists all the
cultivars encountered in popular seed catalogues, and a range of heritage varieties obtainable
from specialist suppliers. For each cultivar, information on history, size and shape, colour, resistance to bolting
and disease, eating properties, and other characteristics are given. Additional information will continually be
added, including photos and tasting notes based on my experience of growing and cooking a wide range of
beetroot cultivars from my allotment in Stevenage, England.
1. Introduction
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