Origin of Beetroot
The cultivation of beetroot can be traced back to somewhere around 4,000 years ago. The ancient Babylonians were the first to use it for various applications. Early Greeks and Romans used the root for its medicinal properties and the leaves as vegetables. Moving ahead with time, beetroot held an important place in Renaissance (14th-16th century) medicine and was often used for treating various ailments.
In medieval England, beetroot juice or broth was recommended as an easily digested food for the aged, weak, or infirm. Even in mythology, Aphrodite is said to have eaten beets to retain her beauty. In folk magic, if a woman and man eat from the same beet, they will fall in love. In Africa, beets are used as an antidote to cyanide poisoning. In the present times, beetroot is extensively cultivated on the coasts of Europe, North Africa and Asia, as far as India, and is found in muddy maritime marshes in many parts of England.
