Chioggia Beets

Years ago, I visited Alice Waters' Chez Panisse Restaurant in Berkeley, California. It was there I had my first taste of Chioggia beets.  Growing up, my dad grew the classic Detroit Dark Red beet and an occasional row or two of yellow beets.  Both very sweet but not nearly as sweet as the organic Chioggia beets featured at Chez Panisse and now at Big Bowls in Chicago.  Originating from Chioggia, Italy, and sometimes referred to as candy striped beets, they are  prized for their alternating layers of striking pink and cream colored flesh and delicate, sugary flavor.

 Also very nutritious, beets have lots of fiber, potassium, iron, and folic acid, B vitamin. Betacyanin, the pigment that gives beets their color, is a powerful antioxidant.  Ours are organically raised by our friends at Deer Creek Organics in St. Anne, Illinois.  Be sure to add some of these sweet, nutritious goodies to your next stir fry.