Not everyone knows what a beetroot, or a beetroot, is. This is the most ordinary beet, which is one of the most common vegetables in Russia. Both root crops and beetroot leaves are used in food. Beets are full of vitamins and minerals.
They call it a beet in Belarus, Ukraine and some regions of Russia. The vegetable got its name because of the saturated brown color, however it is also used in relation to beets of any color.
It is noted that chard is one of the types of beets, whose rhizomes are inedible, almost never called buryak. Most likely, this is due to the fact that it has an unusual appearance and is not perceived by many as beets. At first glance, the chard has more similarities with leaf lettuce.
Plant characteristics
Initially, people, not knowing about the taste and beneficial properties of beets, ate only its top, that is, leaves. The roots were generally considered a kind of drug.
So what is beetroot or beetroot? This is a herbaceous plant with a large root crop and rather large leaves. The fruit has a sweetish flavor and is widely used as a food product, including for a dietary table.
Due to the many useful properties, beets appear as an ingredient in recipes of traditional medicine, cosmetology, and is also used in other areas.
Fodder beetweed is recognized as one of the best crops that make up the nutrition of cattle. The vegetable is popular among summer residents, as it is unpretentious and does not require complex manipulations for planting and growing. Even under minimal conditions for growth, there is a great chance to harvest a wonderful crop.
What's the Difference
This is not to say that beetroot has some differences from beets, because it is one and the same vegetable, only called differently in different regions.
It is noted that beet instead of beet dominates mainly in the southern regions. There is an opinion that this is a certain beet variety, but in practice it has not been confirmed.
Many argue that the real one is a red beetwort directly consumed, giving a rich red tint to borsch. The vegetable of the “borsch” variety gives the Ukrainian dish not only a beautiful color, but also a unique taste.
However, the term "beetroot" can be heard in relation to sugar beets and even fodder varieties, and after all, these types of crops come in different colors. It is easy to guess that both red and fodder beetwax, in fact, are just a kind of beet.
Interesting Facts
An interesting historical fact in 1683 related to this culture. Cossacks of Zaporozhye, helping besieged residents of Vienna, sought food in local gardens and found beets. The Cossacks fried it with lard, and then boiled it with other vegetables. This dish was called “brown cabbage soup” and over time turned into the word “borsch”.
That is, borscht is cabbage soup made from buryak.
Beetroot
Buriak, eaten, is divided into two categories: these are red and white varieties. The latter is not always in demand among buyers, although the taste is no different from the red variety. The fruits of a white table beet sprout do not grow as large as red.
Varieties of the latter are represented by a wide range of colors from carmine red to burgundy shades. In some cases, the vegetable can be almost black.
If you cut the red beetweed across, you can notice light or white rings. The shape of the root crop varies depending on how the variety determines it. It is cylindrical, round, almost flat, conical, elongated and in the form of a spindle.
Varieties for summer consumption mainly have round and flattened root crops. They sing early and look very attractive to buyers.
Summer varieties: Bikorez, Solo, Barguzin, Vodan. Later or mid-season varieties are easily distinguished by their elongated shape. Such a beetroot has a highly developed root system. The late variety is best suited for storage in the winter. Famous are such as Slavyanka, Cylinder, Bonn, Bordeaux 237.
Table beet is consumed both fresh and boiled, stewed, fried. You can cook a wide variety of dishes: soups, desserts, side dishes, salads.
Sugar beet
As a result of the work of breeders, sugar beets appeared . This is one of the most important industrial crops, as it is a raw material for industry. Sugar beets, as usual, are white or yellowish in color and quite unpresentable.
Despite the fact that the culture is not intended for culinary products, some dishes are sometimes sweetened with it. There are even folk recipes for syrup and moonshine from sugar varieties of vegetables.
Such beets do not have such a pleasant taste, which is more characteristic of the dining room. In Russia, the following varieties are common: Lenora, Alena, Carmelita, Gezina.
Another view
What is a beetwax (pictured) of a feed variety, few know. This is a technical culture characterized by large root crops of various shapes and colors. From completely white to bright yellow and red fruits.
The average fruit of the feed grade reaches 2 kg of weight. The shape may resemble an oval, cone, bag, ball or cylinder. Succulent leaves are silted and also used as feed. Cows receiving beetroot feed become healthy and prolific, milk yield increases.
Beets that go to feed animals were also bred by breeding from table varieties. For this reason, it is practically no different from the culture eaten. But it contains more fiber, protein, and hard fibers.
The fruits of the fodder culture ripen to gigantic proportions, root crops are recorded, the weight of which reaches 30 kg.
Fodder beetwax, unlike the previous ones, is represented by a wide range of colors and species. There are varieties of pink, bright orange and green shades. Fodder beets grow on the surface of the soil, practically without going deeper, which greatly simplifies its collection.
Varieties of such beets include: Centaur, Ursus, Record, Kiev Pink, Foreman, Lada, Hope, Milan, Starmon.
Conclusion
The second most popular vegetable after potatoes has long been one of the indispensable and desirable products. Beet fruits are rich in a huge amount of vital vitamins and minerals.
A significant advantage of beetweed can be called a wide palette of varieties, which makes it possible to choose a vegetable to your taste and plant it in your garden. Buriak is unpretentious and does not require complicated care.
It should be noted the health benefits that beets bring. Magnesium in its composition can prevent the early development of hypertension and atherosclerosis, as well as various nervous disorders.
Beetroot is an excellent product that provides healthy blood formation. No other vegetable can boast such a high content of iodine, which in the composition of the culture has a beneficial effect on the thyroid gland.
Returning to the question of what is beetroot and what is its difference from beet, we can draw a simple conclusion: they are no different, because they are essentially the same thing. There is no difference, since the beet in any case was and remains only a designation of beets or its species.