Beet Sugar Was a Response to a Blockade
A beet is a root vegetable. Sugar beet became a major crop because Napoleon could not import cane sugar.
A beet is a plant grown for its thick root, eaten as a vegetable or processed for sugar. Sugar beet has a political history: when the British blockade cut France off from Caribbean cane sugar, Napoleon ordered mass planting of beet and the establishment of refineries, and by 1813 France had over three hundred of them. Around a fifth of the world's sugar still comes from beet. *Beetroot* is the British name for the vegetable, *beet* the American.
- A root vegetable. *Beetroot salad.*
- Sugar beet. *Sugar beet.*
- Beetroot — the British name. *Beetroot.*
- Napoleon — who promoted it. *Napoleon.*
- Latin — *beta*. *The source.*
Word forms
| Form | Word | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Noun | beet | A beet. |
| Plural | beets | Beets. |
| British | beetroot | Beetroot. |
| Compound | sugar beet | Sugar beet. |
| Latin | beta | A beet. |
- Roast the beetroot with thyme.Cooking.
- Napoleon promoted sugar beet.History.
- A fifth of world sugar comes from beet.Fact.
Cane and beet sugar
- Both produce sucrose, chemically identical
- Cane grows in tropical climates
- Beet grows in temperate ones, which is why Europe adopted it
- The blockade of 1806 onward forced the switch in France
- Around 20 per cent of world sugar is now from beet
Old English *bete*, from Latin *beta*, a beet, of uncertain further origin.
Why did sugar beet become important?
The British blockade cut Napoleonic France off from Caribbean cane sugar, so Napoleon ordered mass beet planting and refining instead.
Is beet sugar different from cane sugar?
Chemically no. Both are sucrose, and refined white sugar from either source is identical.