History and Lore

A member of the goosefoot family (Chenopodiaceae), the beet in some form was probably consumed in prehistoric times. The plant is native to western Europe and the Mediterranean, specifically northern Africa, where it evolved from the wild sea-beet, a common seashore plant. The Romans were the first to cultivate the plants for their roots. Prior to that, they were grown exclusively for their leaves, until spinach cultivation drastically reduced the popularity of the greens. It wasn’t until the sixteenth century that the garden, or table, beet, in the color and form that we know it today, was cultivated and consumed in Europe. Another three centuries would pass before it was grown in the United States. Within the last decade or so, beets have transformed from a rather utilitarian winter crop for canning and pickling to a shining star that graces the menus of many fine restaurants.