The market · Roots and tubers · Northern and Central Europe
Beetroots
A sweet, earthy root — the earthiness is geosmin, the same compound as the smell of rain on soil.
earthy · sweet
at its peakKinds
- Red
- The usual one; bleeds into everything.
- Golden
- Milder and sweeter, and doesn't stain.
- Chioggia
- Candy-striped inside; best raw, as cooking fades the rings.
Goes with
Knowing it
- Where to buy
- With the leaves on if you can — they cook like chard. Firm, not wrinkled.
- A little history
- The root of barszcz, Poland's clear red Christmas Eve soup.
- Worth knowing
- Roast whole in foil until a knife slides in; the skins then rub off.
