6 Most Famous Types and Varieties of Beetroot

One of the most nutritionally complete root tubers is the beet, native to the coastal region of North Africa, southern Europe and Asia.

Its scientific name is Beta vulgaris var. Conditive and belongs to the Chenopodiaceae family.Popularly, it is called table beet, Betabel, orchard beet, red beet and Betarraga.

It is used in salads, soups, creams and even desserts. It is the most complete, with varieties of different colors: pink, white, yellow, striped, reddish-purple and red, even gold, as well as equally variable sizes.

There are specimens of dimensions similar to a small radish, or similar to an extra large potato. It has been cultivated for more than 4,000 years throughout the Mediterranean region.

Its characteristic sweet and earthy flavor at the same time has conquered the whole world, because it is a very rich source of sucrose and that makes it a raw material for making refined sugar wherever it is harvested.

Its leaves have a large amount of vitamin A and the roots are generous deposits of vitamin C, among other nutrients, such as: potassium, sodium, phosphorus, calcium, carbohydrates, proteins and lipids.

The leaves (neck) of beet are an excellent source of vitamin A and the roots (beets) are a good source of vitamin C. Beta vulgaris var. Saccharifera, is the name of the variety of sugar beet.There is a wide range of species around the world. Let’s look at some of the best known.

Red or purple beets

This species is the most abundant, it has an intense wine red color and a simply great sweet-earthy flavor.

It adapts to a wide variety of dishes in the kitchen, such as salads, stews, sauces, creams, sautéed vegetables, among many other options that are the product of culinary creativity.

grated beet

Also called Chioggia, these striped-looking beets have a mix of yellow- orange colors or bright hues with stripes that combine white, cream, and red.It also adapts to any culinary version.

golden beets

They are somewhat less sweet of all the existing varieties, but have a milder, less earthy flavor that enhances the flavor of dishes and decorates salads with their bright orange color that turns golden when cooked.

Does not stain or “bleed” like the red or purple version.It is not the most commercial of the existing beet species, but it is available all year round.

baby beets

They are actually those beets that are harvested ahead of time, before they finish developing to their maximum size.They are used in salads, because their leaves and tender stems are also used.

Sugar beet

It has the shape of a cone, a turnip and a whitish color. They are exclusive tubers to produce sugar on a commercial scale.

That is why, at present, around 20% of the world production of refined sugar comes from this variety. The rest comes from the sugar cane.

According to the shape of the root there are also 3 types of beets:

1. Rounded root, which grows a little above the ground.
2. Flattened and superficial root.
3. Elongated root, its harvest is later and they have greater weight.

Commercial beet varieties

There are other commercial varieties, which are:

• Globe red, which has a globe root.
• Rubidus, it’s red inside and out
• Round black balloon, which is a super dark shade of red.
• Detroit, has its root rounded.
• Plan of Egypt.
• Cilindra, which has an elongated root and is cut into slices.
• Cosby, is shaped like a top, semi-flat.