Aarhus, Denmark
December 7, 2010
Scientists from the Faculty of Agricultural Sciences, Aarhus University, are studying the suitability of beetroot for various types of cooking methods. The overall goal is to encourage Danes to eat even more root vegetables.
Yellow, red, raw or cooked – how do you like your beetroots? The answer could very depending on which beetroot variety you are talking about. Research results show that there are differences in beetroot taste, appearance and suitability for various cooking methods. Scientists are presently investigating which beetroot varieties are best suited for eating raw, boiled or baked. The studies are part of a larger research project, www.gourmetroots.dk, which is investigating the taste quality of a range of root vegetables.
- Our aim with the project is, basically, to encourage people to eat more root vegetables, says PhD student Vibe Bach from the Department of Food Science at the Faculty of Agricultural Sciences, and who is presently working on the beetroot part of the root vegetable project. In this colourful study there are five different beetroot varieties. Three of the varieties are red, one is yellow, and one is white with red stripes.
Appearance is not the only variation in the study. The beetroots were also cooked in different ways. Their taste was evaluated by a panel of trained judges. The results showed that taste differs according to variety and that the taste depends on whether the beetroots are raw or cooked.
In general, the yellow and the striped beetroots had more undesired gastronomic traits than the red beetroots. They were bitter when they were raw. Some of the bitterness disappeared in the yellow beetroots when they were cooked but the striped variety stayed bitter even after cooking. All the cooked beetroots tasted different after cooking and took on an earthy, boiled potato taste.
Particularly one of the varieties, the round and red Pablo, had the highest scores regardless of cooking method.
- The good taste experience is especially related to a high level of sweetness and juiciness and a low level of bitterness and sharpness, says Vibe Bach.
A team of cooks and employees in the food industry is also involved in the study. The team cooked the beetroots, tasted them raw, boiled and baked, and evaluated the suitability of the varieties for the different cooking methods. The goal is to offer consumers a whole range of beetroots that are suitable for different purposes – as is the case with potatoes.
- The more that professional cooks use different beetroot varieties in their kitchens, the more this habit will spread to consumers’ kitchens, predicts Vibe Bach.
The Faculty of Agricultural Sciences has previously carried out similar studies with potatoes and is presently investigating the taste and suitability of various varieties of Jerusalem artichokes. Later on, the scientists will do the same with carrot varieties.
The research project is being conducted in collaboration between the Department of Horticulture at the Faculty of Agricultural Sciences, Maaltidskonsulenterne, Kongenshus Kro & Hotel, Tange Frilandsgartneri, SeedCom, Fooddesign, Kold College, Frugtformidlingen, University College Lillebælt and the Danish Agricultural Museum Gl. Estrup, and is financially supported by the Ministry of Food, Agriculture and Fisheries.
Photo credit: Connie Damgaard
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