History of Beets
Beets, botanically-known as Beta vulgaris, evolved from wild seabeet, which is a native of coastlines from India to Britain and is the ancestor of all cultivated forms of beet. Sea beet was first grown domestically in the eastern Mediterranean and Middle East – although it was only the leaves that were eaten at that time.
Beets were offered to Apollo in his temple at Delphi, where it was reckoned to be worth its own weight in silver! The Romans began to cultivate it in earnest, and early recipes included cooking it with honey and wine. Apicius, the renowned Roman gourmet, included beet in recipes for broths and even recommended making it into a salad with a dressing of mustard, oil and vinegar in his book ‘The Art of Cooking’.
In early times, the medicinal properties of the root were more important than its eating qualities and it was used to treat a range of ailments including fevers, constipation, wounds and various skin problems. At that time, the roots were long and thin like a carrot. The rounded root shape that we are familiar with today was not developed until the sixteenth century and became widely popular in Central and Eastern Europe 200 years later. Many classic beet dishes originated in this region including the famous beet soup, known as borscht.
Beets continued to grow in popularity in England in the 19th century, when the dramatic color brightened up salads and soups. It was also used as a sweet ingredient in cakes and puddings. The plants were even used as decorative bedding because of their attractive green leaves. At this time, beets were still mainly grown as a winter root vegetable. More recently smaller, more tender, ‘baby’ summer-grown beets have been developed.
At the beginning of the 19th century only one variety of red beet was listed as being grown in the USA. By 1900 a wider range was grown, including Long Red, Bassano, ‘Egyptian’ (actually developed in Massachusetts!) and Detroit – a particularly versatile variety which is still important for commercial growers and gardeners today. Their popularity grew alongside the development of canning processes in the 1800s, particularly in the United States and in Australia.
After the Second World War pickled beets became increasingly popular, particularly in Europe.
Beets come in all shapes and sizes but the most common is round and deep red in color. Other varieties are yellow, white, and even candy-striped (with red and white concentric circles). The humble beet is sweet, earthy and tender to eat and related to the turnip, swede and sugar beet.