Beetroot (US: beets) is a generally ruby-red root vegetable which is available all year round. It is a swollen red root vegetable used famously in borscht or cooked, cooled and sometimes pickled for use in salads. It is also boiled as a vegetable and, in the United Kingdom, served in white sauce. Its density means that it requires to be boiled for a long time. It will render the broth in which it is cooked bright yellow. The leaves are underestimated in the United Kingdom and can be cooked in the same way as spinach when they are older, or raw in salads when young.
The Romans thought beetroot was an aphrodisiac and used them for medicinal purposes, while the Elizabethans thought that beetroot counteracted the smell of garlic on the breath.
