There are several types of beet, but the most widely known are: red beet(beetroot), used as a food and very common in Brazil; and the white beet(sugar beet), cultivated in cold countries for extraction of sugar, as in the case of U.S.A.
In Brazil, beetroot is eaten fresh, cooked or in juice form. When cooking the beetroot, we should not peel it , so that it does not lose its color or nutrients and does not become watery. The leaves of the beetroot are also eaten raw or cooked.
The beetroot is very nutritive and rich in vitamins and minerals. The nutrients are found in greater quantity in the leaves. As well as this, it contains calcium, iron and sugar, which give it a sweet flavor.