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Beetroot
Who isn’t aware of the red super-root? Beetroot is in season in Switzerland all year round, and can be stored for a long time. It is famous not just for its colour, but also for the many nutrients and vitamins that make it a Swiss superfood. In this blog post you will learn exactly what beetroot contains, and why it's a really good thing to have on your plate.
Where does beetroot come from and what does it taste of?
Beetroot, or just beet in North America, originates from the Mediterranean region. Today it is cultivated all over Europe. As well as classic red beetroot, there are also varieties with red-and-white or gold-coloured flesh, but these colours are usually found in private gardens and allotments rather than supermarkets. All beetroots taste earthy and slightly sweet, regardless of colour. Something sour, such as vinegar or lemon juice, will really bring out the flavour.
What makes beetroot so healthy?
Like all vegetables, beetroot has a great many healthy vitamins, nutrients and minerals. These include vitamins C and E, for example, as well as folic acid and potassium. Beetroot also contains magnesium, calcium, iron and zinc. And why are these vitamins and minerals good for us? Vitamin C has many uses, including boosting our immune systems and supporting the formation of bone and connective tissue. Folic acid plays an important part in regenerating body cells, for example. You can read more about why individual substances and vitamins are healthy here.
An all-rounder in the kitchen
Every single one of us has probably eaten a beetroot salad at some time or other. But beetroot is a lot more than just a beetroot salad. It is also excellent in stews, risottos and dips, and it makes delicious crisps. You can use it as an hors d’oeuvre, a main meal and a snack. You can get beetroot with the leaves attached in the main harvesting season (September to October). The leaves are highly nutritious and can be cooked like spinach.
You will find some delicious beetroot recipes on www.hey-zug.ch until the end of this year. Take a look – this versatile vegetable will win you over!
Tip: To make beetroot even more delicious for children, you can cut it up into bite-sized batons, served plain or with a dip, and tell them that eating it will make their tongues change colour! The tongue goes a lovely shade of magenta, which children think is great, so they will be happy to try and to eat the beetroot batons.
Recipe tip: Root vegetable crisps
Ingredients for 4 people
- 200 g raw beetroot
- 100 g carrots
- 200 g sweet potato
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 2 tablespoons oil
- 1 tablespoon fennel seeds
- ½ teaspoon Fleur de sel
Method
- Cut the beetroot, carrots and sweet potatoes into very thin slices. Mix the beetroot slices with half the salt and the carrot and potato slices with the other half. Leave for approximately 30 minutes, so the flavours can mingle. While you wait, pre-heat the oven to 150 °C with the fan.
- Rinse off the vegetables and potatoes and pat them dry. Then mix everything with the oil and spread them over a baking sheet lined with baking paper. Bake in the centre of the oven for approximately 40 minutes, until crisp. Turn them after 20 minutes. Turn off the oven, leave the door open and leave the crisps there to cool.
- Grind the fennel seeds and mix with the Fleur de sel. Sprinkle the mixture over the cooled root vegetable crisps.
(Source)
Happy snacking!
References
5 am Tag. (2022). Rande. Bundesamt für Lebensmittelsicherheit und Veterinärwesen BLV. https://www.5amtag.ch/wissen/gemuese/rande/
Bundesamt für Lebensmittelsicherheit und Veterinärwesen BLV. (2022). Die Schweizer Nährwertedatenbank. Eidgenössisches Departement des Innern EDI. https://naehrwertdaten.ch/de/
Verband Schweizer Gemüse. (n. d.). Rande. https://www.gemuese.ch/gemuesearten/rande
Vogt, C. (2022, 1 July). Die Rande – das gesunde Wintergemüse. iMpuls. https://impuls.migros.ch/de/ernaehrung/nahrungsmittel/gemuese/die-rande
