Beets may have come from ancient Egypt in the 2000s BC, and the Babylonians had various uses of some sort for the plant(1). However, until the 1500s, people ate the leaves rather than the roots(1,2). The legendary Hanging Gardens of Babylon may have grown beets. Roots were thinner and more fibrous for most of history and were sometimes used in medicine(2). Ancient Greeks started cultivating them after a certain point, eating the leaves and leaving roots for ceremony. Ancient Greek doctor Hippocrates(1) [of the Hippocratic Oath] may have dressed wounds with the leaves(1). "Despite only growing well during spring and fall, beets were so well regarded in Ancient Rome and Greece that methods were developed for producing them during the hot summer months."(2)
"The root part of the beet was cultivated for consumption in either Germany or Italy, first recorded in 1542." At the time, the roots were more parsnip shaped. It took more towards the end of the 1500s when the bulb-shaped roots came out. The northeast portion of Europe was the first area where the roots really caught on as a staple as they were one of the relatively rare veggies to grow good during winter(2). France was a big part of getting international recognition for the roots, which took almost 200 years after people began eating them - roasted beets obtained delicacy status by that point(1). Women used beet juice as a lip and cheek cosmetic during the 1800s(1,2) - "red as a beet" as a saying was inspired by that use of beets(2).
References:
1. "The Origin And History Of Beetroot And Its Uses." Healthy Beeter: Beetroot for Healthy Living. Healthy Beeter. Web. ___. http://healthybeeter.com/origin-history-beetroot-uses/.
2. Avey, Tori. "Discover the History of Beets." PBS: Food: The History Kitchen. Public Broadcasting Service (PBS). 8 Oct. 2014. Web. ___. https://www.pbs.org/food/the-history-kitchen/history-beets/#:~:text=Northeastern%20Europe%20was%20the%20first%20area%20to%20embrace,discovered%20a%20way%20to%20produce%20sucrose%20from%20beets.
"The root part of the beet was cultivated for consumption in either Germany or Italy, first recorded in 1542." At the time, the roots were more parsnip shaped. It took more towards the end of the 1500s when the bulb-shaped roots came out. The northeast portion of Europe was the first area where the roots really caught on as a staple as they were one of the relatively rare veggies to grow good during winter(2). France was a big part of getting international recognition for the roots, which took almost 200 years after people began eating them - roasted beets obtained delicacy status by that point(1). Women used beet juice as a lip and cheek cosmetic during the 1800s(1,2) - "red as a beet" as a saying was inspired by that use of beets(2).
References:
1. "The Origin And History Of Beetroot And Its Uses." Healthy Beeter: Beetroot for Healthy Living. Healthy Beeter. Web. ___. http://healthybeeter.com/origin-history-beetroot-uses/.
2. Avey, Tori. "Discover the History of Beets." PBS: Food: The History Kitchen. Public Broadcasting Service (PBS). 8 Oct. 2014. Web. ___. https://www.pbs.org/food/the-history-kitchen/history-beets/#:~:text=Northeastern%20Europe%20was%20the%20first%20area%20to%20embrace,discovered%20a%20way%20to%20produce%20sucrose%20from%20beets.
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