[6] The domestication of beetroot can be traced to the emergence of an allele that enables biennial harvesting of leaves and taproot.

[9] Food shortages in Europe following World War I caused great hardships, including cases of mangelwurzel disease, as relief workers called it.

[10] Usually, the deep purple roots of beetroot are eaten boiled, roasted, or raw, and either alone or combined with any salad vegetable.

[citation needed] In Australia and New Zealand, sliced pickled beetroot is a common ingredient in traditional hamburgers.

In Ukraine, a related dish called "shpundra" is also common; this hearty beetroot stew, often made with pork belly or ribs, is sometimes referred to as a thicker version of borscht.

In Poland and Ukraine, beetroot is combined with horseradish to form ćwikła or бурячки (buryachky), which is traditionally used with cold cuts and sandwiches, but often also added to a meal consisting of meat and potatoes.

Similarly, in Serbia, beetroot (referred to by the local name cvekla) is used as winter salad, seasoned with salt and vinegar, with meat dishes.

As an addition to horseradish, it is also used to produce the "red" variety of chrain, a condiment in Ashkenazi Jewish, Hungarian, Polish, Lithuanian, Russian, and Ukrainian cuisine.

[citation needed] Botvinya [ru] is an old-time traditional Russian cold soup made from leftover beet greens and chopped beetroots, typically with bread and kvass added.

Botvinya got its name from the Russian botva, which means "root vegetable greens", referring to beet plant leaves.

[15] A common dish in Sweden and elsewhere in the Nordic countries is Biff à la Lindström, a variant of meatballs or burgers, with chopped or grated beetroot added to the minced meat.