There appears to be a great divide in the world. A line in the sand between the passionate lovers and haters of the vibrantly coloured, root vegetable- beets. Beets are notably known for their dark red colour, however they are also found to be yellow and even have a candy cane appearance (a variety know as Chioggia). In North America it is common to refer to the Beta vulgaris species as a beet but other cultivars fall under this category as well. Beets can be consumed boiled, raw or roasted and are a staple vegetable in many European countries.
It might come to a surprise but the history of beet sugar has been around for almost 250 years, starting from a discovery in 1747. A Berlin chemist, Adreas Marggraf discovered a method to extract sucrose from beets. He knew this discovery would lead to the eventual domestic manufacturing of sugar as he is quoted for saying, “this sweet, salt, sugar, may be made from our plants as from surgar cane.” However, it was his student and successor, Franz Karl Achard who perfected the method that eventually led to the inevitable rise of beet beer, tobacco and molasses. In 2009, sugar beets accounted for 20% of the world’s sugar population.
The Secret to Beets Earthy Flavour
No matter what your opinion is about beets there is a consensus that beets have an earthy flavour. That earthy flavour can be contributed to the chemical compound known as geosmin. Geosmin is an odorous chemical produced from a type of Actionbacteria which is naturally found in soil. Additionally, this alcohol is responsible for the distinctive smell which arises after a rainstorm or freshly ploughed earth. Humans are extremely sensitive to geosmin as the average person can detect it at levels of 0.7 parts per billion. It is also responsible in many cases for the musty flavour found water supplies collected in certain regional areas.
How Different Preparations will change the flavour of Beets
The majority of foods that we consume will have flavours that alter during preparation. The same thing can be seen with beets as roasting, boiling or steaming will make a difference. Beginning with roasting, when you roast a beet a more concentrated flavour will be produced. Because beets are high in sugar the roasting will enhance this and help to remove their characteristic earthy flavour. In contrast, when you boil beets the overall flavour will disperse leaving a more subdued flavour. This method is ideal when you want the vegetables to be the secondary star. Lastly, steaming will produce a flavour most like raw version as the earthy flavour remains.
Possible Unique Flavour Combinations
- Beets and Chocolate- This combination is best explored in a baked preparation which include chocolate cake or brownies. Chocolate is a rich, decadent flavour with slight floral notes depending on the variety and pairs well with sweets. Beets due to roasting provide an extra layer of sweetness and a very subtle earthiness.
- Beets and Olives- Olives can be found to be fruity, pungent and bitter. If using typical preservation methods they will also be quite salty. Beets are quite sweet so they are able to offset the bitter taste of olives while the olives floral notes add another dimension of flavour to this combination.
- Beets and Pears- Beets as you are already aware have a warm earthiness but the sharp acidity from an apple can better balance out this characteristic. The two work together to create a combination reminiscent of fall even when placed in a crisp salad.