Photo by Kristen Bonardi Rapp (CC BY-ND 2.0).

Scientific Name: Beta vulgaris

AKA: Beetroot ‘Chioggia’, Beetroot ‘Bullseye’, Beetroot ‘Tonda di Chioggia’, Beetroot ‘Chioggia Pink’, Beetroot ‘Dolce di Chioggia’, Beetroot ‘Barabietola di Chioggia’, Candy Stripe Beet

Family: Amaranthaceae (Amaranth & Beet Family)

Etymology:

Beta: From Bett, Red; Celtic

vulgaris: Common

Origin:

The native form of Beta vulgaris is called wild sea beet and can be found growing along the coastline of Europe and Western Asia.  The heirloom cultivar Chioggia was developed by market gardeners around Venice, Italy, the first written records of the cultivation of this variety come from the 1840s. 

Description:

Chioggia is a variety with a crimson coloured skin and alternating rings of red and white flesh, the colours tend to leach into each other after cooking making the whole beetroot look pinkish.  The flavour is sweet but milder than traditional purple-fleshed beetroots.

Uses:

This is a highly decorative variety when used raw, thin slices make a colourful addition to salads.  This is also a good variety for pickling.  Because of its milder flavour variety may appeal to people who normally find the flavour of beetroot too strong.  Generally the younger the roots are harvested the sweeter they will be.  Beetroot leaves are also edible when cooked and can be used in anyway you would normally use spinach or silverbeet. Rice cooked with tomatoes, herbs and spices can be wrapped in cooked beetroot leaves for a nice dolmades-like treat.  The leaves have a lighter earthy taste than the roots and have a slight bitterness to them.

Germination:

Direct sow seed 2cm deep and about 10cm apart.  Soaking the seed in water for a couple of hours  prior to planting can speed up germination.  Germination beetroot seed require plenty of moisture so keep them well watered.  More than one seedling may emerge from each ‘seed’ planted, what is planted is actually a cluster of seeds held within a dried fruit.  If this happens you should thin them out to the strongest seedling otherwise they will not have room to grow.  Sow a small batch of seeds every few weeks to prevent a glut of beetroots.  Sow seeds from September to April in cold regions, from July to April in temperate regions, all year round in the subtropics, or from March to June in the tropics.

Cultivation:

This variety takes about 8 to 10 weeks from sowing the seed to produce a good sized root for eating.  It prefers a well-drained, sandy soil in a sunny location, although some shade will be tolerated.  Dig over the soil well before planting and ensure any stones are removed as these can cause the roots to become malformed.  Tolerant of light frosts.  Beetroot have shallow roots especially when young so it’s important to keep them watered, but don’t overwater as this will cause excess top growth with little root growth.