Radish vs. Beet – What’s The Difference?

Finding the right vegetable to eat is not that hard; you can never go wrong with choosing that because all vegetables are healthy and provide essential nutrients for your growth, maintenance, and development. But certain vegetables stand out, either because of their bright colors or their nutritional benefits. Two such vegetables are Beets and Radishes. 

These vegetables are known for their distinct taste, colorful appearance, and health benefits. Most of us might know about these Beets and Radishes, but not everyone can differentiate between the two; we can usually differentiate between their appearance but not their nutritional value and other factors.

With the rise of awareness about the benefits of eating healthy fresh vegetables, more and more people are becoming interested in consuming them, but they usually get bored after eating things like potatoes, peas, carrots etc. And once you get bored, your walls come up, and you might give up on the whole idea of trying the wide variety of vegetables available. In this article, we will talk about the differences between Beet and Radish, so you can better understand them, which might develop your interest in consuming them, or maybe you might be encouraged to incorporate them in your recipes.

Beets

Beets are bright-colored vegetables that are filled with phytochemicals. This vegetable has been around for a while now, but still plenty of people remain unaware of this nutritious root vegetable. Beet grows from a plant called Beet, and it is the taproot of this plant.

You can think of the taproot as the part of the plant located directly below the stem, and from this part of the plant, many roots might be grown. To make things easier for you to understand, think about carrots; they are also taproot vegetables. If you look closely, you can see tiny roots growing from the carrot, even after harvesting.

Now that you know what we are talking about, imagine Beets as the same thing. Beets grow underground and usually have a green part that grows above the ground, which is known as Beet green. And as you might have already guessed, this plant of Beet is also edible. Beets, like most vegetables, have many different varieties, but the red or purple type of beetroot is considered the most common type.

Types and uses

These purple and red beetroots are beautiful to look at, thanks to the flavonoids present in them that give them their bright color. But there are other variants of beetroot that are even prettier. The Golden beet, for instance, is usually golden or yellowish.

Another variety worth looking at is candy cane, which comes with vertical stripes. All of these varieties can make eating veggies interesting and fun. You can use them to decorate your plate (or your child’s plate, which can encourage them to eat their veggies and finish their plate).

It is best to cut the beets in small portions before eating them because beets are large bulbs. However, with more and more people consuming these beautiful vegetables, there has been a high demand for miniature beetroots, which are easier to consume (and look cuter as well). Additionally, the young greens that grow from the beets, called beet sprouts, are becoming popular.

Radish

Radish is a versatile, healthy, and nutritious vegetable that has gained a bad name because of its flavor over the past few years. Like broccoli or Brussels sprouts, Radish has been disliked by people (especially teenagers and adolescents) due to its unique and strong flavor. However, we think that Radish is heavily underrated and needs more recognition.

Radishes grow below the earth’s surface, in the warm and nutrient-filled soil, just like tubers or taproots, but they are not classified as true roots; this is because they are a whole different species of plant and are similar to bulbs, rhizomes, and tubers. Instead, we classify Radishes as edible root vegetables (because they grow beneath the soil).

Radishes have many different sub-species, including the daikon radish and black Radish, but our focus today will be on the small red radishes that we are all familiar with. Almost all the radishes have the same white interior flesh, while the other covering can be of different colors and textures. Like Beet, Radishes also have longer stems, and their greens sprout from the top as well, but these greens are not frequently bought or eaten, unlike Beet greens which are very popular.

Shape and Taste

Radishes have a very unique flavor that is seldom observed in other vegetables or fruits. When you first bite into the Radish, you get a spicy and tangy flavor, but as you continue chewing, you’re left with a sweet after-taste. Many people describe its taste as peppery, but if you want to be certain about its taste, you’re going to have to try one yourself.

Radish usually has a spherical shape with an elongated stem at the bottom and greens on the top. These roots are usually smaller than beetroots, with an average diameter of one inch. But of course, you can always buy the larger variants; it may be difficult to find the larger ones, though, because people usually prefer the smaller variety over the larger ones.

You can consume radishes in different ways. You can either consume them raw for a refreshingly crunchy punch, or you can cook them and make them softer for easy consumption. Another popular way of consuming radishes is to pickle them with vinegar, making them softer but still retain their crunchiness.

So What’s the Difference Between Radish and Beet?

Here is a small list to sum up the differences between these two Root vegetables:

• Beet greens are popular food items that are consumed frequently, while Radish greens are not as popular.
• Beets come from the plant species Beta Vulgaris, while Radish comes from the species Raphanus raphannistrum.
• Beets are usually bigger and rounder than Radishes.

Sources

• Foodstruct
• Everythingradish
• CaloriesInfo