Beet simple drawing
Sugar beet (Beta vulgaris), also known as beetroot, is a biennial herb native to the western and southern coasts of Europe. It was transplanted from Sweden to Spain and is a major source of sugar other than sugar cane. Sugar beet originates from the Mediterranean coast, and the wild species Maritime sugar beet is the ancestor of cultivated sugar beet. It was introduced to China from Arab countries around 1500 AD. Sugar beets were introduced to China in 1906. The cultivated species of sugar beet include sugar beet, leaf beet, root beet, and fodder beet. Beets are commonly eaten cooked or pickled in the United States, and Russian beet soup is a traditional beet soup from Eastern Europe. Sugar beet, the most important commercial type, was developed in Germany in the 18th century. Britain had blocked France from imported sugar. As a countermeasure, Napoleon encouraged the cultivation of sugar beets. Since then, sugar beets have been widely cultivated in Europe. In modern times, beet sugar accounts for about 2/5 of the worlds sugar production. The main producing countries are Ukraine, Russia, the United States, France, Poland, Germany, Turkey, Italy, Romania and the United Kingdom. The cultivation of fodder and leaf beets, like most crops, began in prehistoric times.
