Common red cultivar of beet Beta vulgaris.
Beetroot has many common names including table beet, garden beet, and red beet. In the US it is often known as simply "beet", although this can lead to confusion with other beet cultivars (eg. sugar beet). In the Western World, it is the most common cultivar of Beta vulgaris.
Beetroot is a true root vegetable which is usually a deep red/maroon colour, although other coloured varieties (eg. yellow, and variegated) are available. The colour is from a chemical known as betanin which is a common food dye for everything from pasta sauce to breakfast cereal.
Beetroot is often cooked as a side vegetable, used in soup, with salad, or pickled in vinegar. Both the leaves and roots can be eaten.
