Chard

Red beetroot is a vegetable belonging to the Chenopodiaceae family, that is, a variety of plants typical of temperate regions to which spinach also belongs. It is also known as red turnip, red carrot, and some even call it red beard.

The red beetroot is a tuber, like the potato and the Jerusalem artichoke, which can be bought fresh on the market stalls only during the autumn period. Characterized by a red-purple color due to the presence of betaine, with notable antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activity, it is also a natural ally for preserving vision and maintaining good cardiovascular health. Beetroot is rich in mineral salts, vitamins and trace elements. It is also a natural tonic that acts against tiredness, lack of appetite and anemia thanks to the presence of microelements, which revitalize red blood cells and rebalance iron levels in the blood.

Original from North Africa, the beetroot was known in the Greek and Roman worlds where it was used not only as food, but above all for its medicinal properties. Over time, thanks to cultivation in monasteries, red beetroot arrived in Spain and France, but in Europe only the leaves of this vegetable were consumed. Its use for food purposes dates back to the 18th century and is closely connected to the discovery of the sugar that can be extracted from it.  In 1747, in fact, the Prussian chemist Andreas Sigismund Marggraf began to produce sugar commercially and opened the first factory in 1801 in Cunern, Poland.