During my trip to Jamaica last year, while looking at the restaurant menu, I came across a beet and potato salad that reminded me of vinegret, a popular Russian salad. I wondered if there was a Russian chef in that  restaurant. Because nothing can be more Russian than vinegret. In other words, if you know what “vinegret” means, you must be Russian.

The restaurant chef happened to be Jamaican. He was trying to utilize beets as a popular and healthy vegetable. The salad had some tropical variations – potatoes turned out to be pineapple pieces – but the beets created that familiar nostalgic taste.

‘Beets are making a huge comeback – just look at the new chain of restaurants called The Little Beet, popping up all over NYC’, the chef said. “Beet juice is a hipster new fad”.

Beets have been around for a long time. Beetroots and their leaves were used in Mesopotamia, Ancient Greece and Rome. Hippocrates used the leaves for binding wounds, while Talmud urged people to eat beets for longer life. The Europeans learned about them in the 17th century and, in Victorian times, beets were used to add color to otherwise dull food. The Russians adopted the vegetable from Europe through recipes and it has become one of the most respected and most used vegetables in Russian cuisine.

Beets’ long shelf life and powerful medicinal properties made it invaluable in cold climates. Beets were grown, stored and eaten during war times when food was rationed and peaceful times because it was inexpensive and readily available. Many Russian dishes such as borscht, herring salad and vinegret use beets. Beets can be eaten boiled, baked, pickled, shredded, as a juice and more in new hipster recipes. Pink beetroot latte, anyone? One thing definitely stands out – the beet’s color.

In a word, beets are great!

I grew up with vinegret on the table. My paternal grandma, Katya, believed in super healthy qualities of vinegret, especially the beets. She made it almost every day and encouraged everybody to eat it for longevity.

The name owes its existence to Vinaigrette, which means vinegar in French, and which was possibly a dressing ingredient.

The recipe has been very popular because it is simple and the ingredients are available all year round. It is delicious and healthy. It looks colorful and creates an image of vitality due to its vibrant color.

If you are interested in how I make my gorgeously delicious vinegret, please follow me:

In addition to beets, I use carrots and potatoes which are all boiled in skin and peeled when cold. I also use red onion, pickled cucumbers, olive oil, sea salt and pepper.  All those ingredients are the basis of my version of vinegret. Some folks also add sour cabbage. Pineapple can also be used.

Once the boiled vegetables are cooled down and peeled, I cut them into small cubes, add chopped red onion and chopped pickled cucumbers. I sprinkle some salt and add a generous amount of virgin olive oil. Beets and pickled cucumbers should stand out. They have the leading role.

So I use four beets, two potatoes, two carrots, one red onion and four pickled cucumbers. That is the recipe version popular in my family, but it’s open for experimentation. Just keep it simple and do not vulgarize it with canned veggies or mayo.

To longevity!!!

P.S. The food featured in this post has all been prepared and photographed by me.