Definition: beetroot

Nutritional values: per 100 g - Protein 1.5 g; Carbohydrates 8.4 g; Fat 0.1 g; Calories 40 kcal.

Beetroot has another advantage: it is packed with minerals and trace elements. In particular, it is very rich in potassium (336 mg/100 g). This nutrient acts as a blood pressure regulator and is essential for the proper functioning of the nervous system.They also contain significant amounts of calcium and magnesium, as well as many micronutrients that are essential for the well-being of our cells. Finally, they are a real boon against fatigue, loss of appetite and anaemia thanks to their vitamin B content, particularly folic acid (B9). Although not commonly found in food, it is essential, especially for pregnant women. Adding a 100 g serving of beetroot to your diet provides almost a third of the recommended daily intake.

Tasting: Choose firm beetroot with skin that is not too dry when raw. If it still has its leaves, so much the better. When cooked, its skin should be smooth, without black spots or cracks. Always choose small beetroot, as larger ones tend to be fibrous. Store it for three or four days in the crisper drawer of the refrigerator, sealed in an airtight container. Sliced, it can be frozen and kept for several months. To cook beetroot, immerse it whole, skin and all, in boiling salted water with vinegar. After about an hour, rub the skin, which should come off easily. You can then peel it. Note that cooking time is halved in a pressure cooker or oven. Eat them finely grated, raw, if you are lucky enough to find them raw. Young beetroots and their leaves, cooked separately, add the finishing touch to aioli. Cooked beetroots are the ideal accompaniment to many salads. Simply placed on a bed of lamb's lettuce with walnut kernels and drizzled with a walnut oil vinaigrette, it is delicious. Accompanied by green apples, potatoes, endive and herring, it makes a Scandinavian salad. It also goes very well with cabbage, celeriac and leeks. It is perfect for mimosa salad (with crumbled hard-boiled egg yolk). It can also be prepared in a terrine, with fresh goat's cheese, for example. Finally, make some original crisps: fry thin slices in oil, drain and salt before serving. Blended with crème fraîche, it makes a beautifully coloured velouté. But beetroot is also used as a garnish for meat dishes, especially game, both furred and feathered. It is cooked in butter, in a frying pan or in the oven. Prepared as a chutney, it can also accompany these dishes. An essential ingredient in the famous traditional Eastern European soup, borscht, beetroot leaves can also be eaten in the same way as spinach. Our tip: if you want to give your pasta or rice a pretty candy pink colour, add a small piece of beetroot to the cooking water - a surprising effect guaranteed!

History: The term beetroot comes from "bette", a plant originally cultivated for its leaves, from which beetroot is directly descended (it comes from the Mediterranean coast, where it still grows wild), and "rave", which refers to any vegetable plant cultivated for its root. Known since the beginning of our era, beetroot was used by the Ancients for medicinal purposes. The first recipes were published in the^2nd century. Around the^{14th century}, it became very popular in British cuisine. The popularity of sugar beet, meanwhile, owes much to the intervention of Napoleon^I. Due to the war with England and the blockade imposed on France, cane sugar could no longer be imported from the West Indies. To address this shortage, the emperor offered land to anyone who would grow sugar beet, which had the effect of significantly boosting its production. However, it was not until the^{mid-19th century} that consumption of this root vegetable became widespread throughout Europe. It was also during this period that a selection of red, white and yellow varieties with superior taste qualities was developed. Today, it is still grown as a vegetable (red beet), as a fodder plant (food for ruminants) and for sugar production. Today, a handful of hybrids dominate the market. However, older varieties, such as the crapaudine – elongated, with wrinkled, rough skin – are still produced in the Loiret and Brittany regions. Others, such as the Egyptian, yellow, white and Chioggia varieties, are also enjoying a resurgence in popularity. The most common variety is the black round beet or "globe", which has a round, smooth root and dark red flesh. Beetroot is mainly grown in the Orléanais, Nord-Pas-de-Calais and Brittany regions. France is the second largest producer in Europe after Italy. Raw beetroot is available from May to October, while cooked beetroot is available all year round in shops, vacuum-packed and ready to use. However, it is a vegetable that is more commonly eaten in winter.

Did you know? Sugar beet is primarily used for the production of sugar and molasses (used, among other things, in the manufacture of baker's yeast), but it is also used to produce alcohol and fuel!