Beta vulgaris subsp. cicla

Beta vulgaris (beet) is a species of flowering plant in the subfamily Betoideae of the family Amaranthaceae. It is a perennial plant usually growing up to 120 centimetres (4 ft) tall. Three subspecies are typically recognised. The wild ancestor of all the cultivated beets is the sea beet (Beta vulgaris subsp. maritima), with several modern cultivars all belonging to B. vulgaris subsp. vulgaris. Some of the most popular cultivar groups include: the sugar beet (used to produce table sugar), the root vegetable known as the beetroot or garden beet, the leaf vegetable known as chard or spinach beet or silverbeet, and mangelwurzel (a fodder crop).

Description

A broad leafed annual plant. Stalks are smooth and often white with a dark green leaf. A clump of stalks and leaves are produced from the base. Plants can also be blue. The leaves can be 12-25 cm long. The flowers are small and greenish. They are in slender clusters. The fruit are dry and spiny.

Edible Uses

Spinach beet leaves are eaten as a pot herb. Young leaves of the garden beet are sometimes used similarly. The midribs of Swiss chard are eaten boiled while the whole leaf blades are eaten as spinach beet. In some parts of Africa, the whole leaf blades are usually prepared with the midribs as one dish. The leaves and stems of young plants are steamed briefly and eaten as a vegetable; older leaves and stems are stir-fried and have a flavour resembling taro leaves. The usually deep-red roots of garden beet can be baked, boiled, or steamed, and often served hot as a cooked vegetable or cold as a salad vegetable. They are also pickled. Raw beets are added to salads. A large proportion of the commercial production is processed into boiled and sterilised beets or into pickles. In Eastern Europe beet soup, such as cold borsch, is a popular dish. Yellow-coloured garden beets are grown on a very small scale for home consumption. The consumption of beets causes pink urine in some people. Jewish people traditionally eat beet on Rosh Hashana (New Year). Its Aramaic name סלקא sounds like the word for "remove" or "depart"; it is eaten with a prayer "that our enemies be removed".

Traditional Uses

The leaves and stalks are cooked and eaten. The leaf stalks can be cut from the leaf and cooked separately as an asparagus substitute. They can be braised and served with buttered bread crumbs. The leaves are used for sarma in Turkey. They are rolled around a filling of rice or minced meat. Some kinds have edible roots.

Medicinal Uses

The roots and leaves of the beet have been used in traditional medicine to treat a wide variety of ailments. Ancient Romans used beetroot as a treatment for fevers and constipation, amongst other ailments. Apicius in De re coquinaria gives five recipes for soups to be given as a laxative, three of which feature the root of beet. Platina recommended taking beetroot with garlic to nullify the effects of 'garlic-breath'. Beet greens and Swiss chard are both considered high oxalate foods which are implicated in the formation of kidney stones.

Distribution

It is a temperate plant. It needs to be over at least 500 m altitude in the tropics. It is mostly grown between 1000 and 2600 m altitude. It can tolerate frost.

Where It Grows

Africa, Angola, Asia, Australia, Austria, Bangladesh, Benin, Botswana, Britain, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cameroon, Canada, Central Africa, Central African Republic, CAR, Chad, China, Congo, Cook Islands, Côte d'Ivoire, Cuba, Djibouti, Dominican Republic, East Africa, Ecuador, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Eswatini, Ethiopia, Europe, Fiji, France, Gabon, Gambia, Georgia, Germany, Ghana, Greece, Guinea, Guinée, Guinea-Bissau, Haiti, Hawaii, India, Indonesia, Iran, Italy, Ivory Coast, Japan, Jordan, Kenya, Kiribati, Korea, Liberia, Madagascar, Malawi, Mali, Mauritania, Mediterranean, Mexico, Middle East, Mozambique, Namibia, Nauru, Nepal, Netherlands, New Zealand, Niger, Nigeria, North America, Pacific, Papua New Guinea, PNG, Philippines, Portugal, Puerto Rico, Rwanda, Sahel, SE Asia, Senegal, Sicily, Sierra Leone, Sikkim, Slovenia, Somalia, South Africa, Southern Africa, Spain, Swaziland, Switzerland, Tanzania, Tasmania, Togo, Turkey, Türkiye, Uganda, Uruguay, USA, Vanuatu, West Africa, West Indies, Zambia, Zimbabwe,

Cultivation

It is grown from seeds. Under tropical conditions it is not normally possible to save your own seed. In cold climates plants need to be sown when conditions are warmer so that plants do not go straight to flower. A spacing of 30 cm between plants is suitable. Seed are sown 2.5 cm deep.

Production

The first leaves are ready after 8-10 weeks and can produce for 2 years. Only the outer leaves are picked off.

Other Information

It is a commercially cultivated vegetable. It is moderately common in some highland areas in the tropics including Papua New Guinea.

Notes

Probably all Beta are one species and 2 main forms - Cicla - for leaves, and Contiva - for roots. Also put in the family Chenopodiaceae.

Nutrition

Synonyms

Also Known As

Acelga, Bette a couper, Bette, Bioetola, Chukandar, Geundae, Hou pi cai, Leaf beet, Mangold, Navadna pesa, Sorta, Palak, Schnittmangold, Seakale, Spinach beet, Swiss chard

References (42)

• Bianchini, F., Corbetta, F., and Pistoia, M., 1975, Fruits of the Earth. Cassell. p 76
• Brouk, B., 1975, Plants Consumed by Man. Academic Press, London. p 139
• Bussman, R. W., et al, 2016, A comparative ethnobotany of Khevsureti, Samtskhe-Javakheti, Tusheti, Svaneti, and Racha-Lechkhumi, Republic of Georgia (Sakartvelo), Caucasus. Journal of Ethnobiology and Ethnomedicine (2016) 12:43
• Cundall, P., (ed.), 2004, Gardening Australia: flora: the gardener's bible. ABC Books. p 234
• Dogan, Y., et al, 2015, Of the importance of a leaf: the ethnobotany of sarma in Turkey and the Balkans. Journal of Ethnobiology and Ethnomedicine, 11:56

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