Beet, Turnip, Radish, Onion,
and Others
The members of this mixed category of
vegetables sit at or just below ground level,
and have one characteristic in common: they
store little starch compared to most roots and
tubers. They’re therefore usually less dense,
cook more rapidly, and retain a moist texture.
Beets
Beet “roots” are mainly the lower stem of
Beta vulgaris, a native of the Mediterranean
and Western Europe. People have eaten this
plant since prehistory, initially its leaves
(chard, p. 325), then the underground part of
specialized varieties (subspecies vulgaris). In
Greek times beet roots were long, either white
or red, and sweet; Theophrastus reported
around 300 BCE that they were pleasant
enough to eat raw. The fat red type is first