History of Beetroot

Beeting a new path
Beetroot, botanically-known as
Beta vulgaris, evolved from
wild sea beet, which is a native
of coastlines from India to
Britain. Sea beet was first domesticated
in the eastern
Mediterranean and Middle
East — although only the
leaves were eaten at that time.
Beetroot was 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. The ancient Romans
were one of the first civilisations
to cultivate beets to use
their roots as food.
The tribes that invaded Rome
were responsible for spreading
beets throughout northern Europe
where they were first
used for animal fodder and later
for human consumption, becoming
more popular in the
16th century.
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. The
rounded root shape was developed
in the sixteenth century
and became widely popular in
Central and Eastern Europe
200 years later.
Beetroot continued to grow in
popularity in Victorian times,
when its dramatic colour
brightened up salads and
soups. It was also used as a
sweet ingredient in cakes and
puddings. In certain cases the
plants were even used as decorative
bedding because of
their attractive green leaves.
At this time, beetroot was still
mainly grown as a winter root
vegetable.
After World War II, pickled
beetroot in jars was the most
widely available form of the
vegetable.
The value of the beetroot grew
in the nineteenth century when
it was discovered that they
were a concentrated source of
sugar, and the first sugar factory
was built in Poland.
Around this time, beets were
also first brought to the United
States, where they now
flourish.