The whole world has been puzzled by one question for a long time. What exactly are tomatoes? Is it a fruit or a vegetable?
Well, that’s not an easy question to answer. There are two main schools of thought on this issue. People say tomatoes are fruits because they are edible and have seeds inside. Another school of thought believes that tomatoes are vegetables because they do not have seeds inside.
Tomatoes are one of the most widely consumed foods in the world and are also the easiest to grow. Tomatoes were once classified as herbaceous plants and were called Datura plants because of their resemblance to the deadly Datura plant (Atropa belladonna), which grows throughout Europe, North America and Asia. Other members of the nightshade family include potatoes, eggplants, peppers, and tomatoes. The botanical name of tomato is Lycopersicon esculentum.
To know whether to classify tomatoes as fruits or vegetables, we first need to know the difference between fruits and vegetables.
So what is the difference between fruits and vegetables?
Fruits and vegetables are two types of foods derived from plants. They contain nutrients such as vitamins, minerals, fiber, antioxidants and water. Both fruits and vegetables are important parts of a balanced diet.
The term “fruit” is usually applied to the large, sweet, edible drupe that develops from the seed. The fruit can be eaten raw. They can also be used in cooking.
Vegetables are distinguished from fruits in that they do not grow on trees (fruits) or from seeds (flowers). Vegetables are classified into two main groups: herbaceous plants and other non-woody plants called green plants.
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Tomato-What is a fruit or vegetable?
Turns out, it’s both.
Yes, you read it right. Tomatoes are both a fruit and a vegetable.
Scientifically, tomatoes are fruits. However, there are certain reasons to classify them as vegetables.
Tomatoes are technically classified as fruits because they contain seeds and are grown from flowers.
On the other hand, they are considered vegetables because they are cooked like a vegetable and are closely related to other members of the eggplant, eggplant, and pepper families.
Why is tomato a fruit?
According to the definition of fruit, they are the sweet and fleshy product of a tree or other plant that contains seeds and can be eaten as food. Additionally, fruits come from flowers. Tomatoes, which come from flowers, have a fleshy taste, although not as sweet as other fruits, and also contain seeds.
So, according to the definition of fruit, tomatoes meet almost every criterion. That is why they are classified as fruits.
Why is tomato a vegetable?
A vegetable is defined as a plant or part of a plant such as roots, stems, leaves, etc., that can be cooked and used as food. In 1983, the United States Supreme Court decided that tomatoes would be classified as a vegetable based on how they are cooked and used in cooking rather than their scientific classification as fruits.
So, legally and culinary-wise, tomatoes are also a vegetable.
Image credit: Lybrate
In the end, it makes no difference whether you consider tomatoes a fruit or a vegetable. You can classify them as one or both. No matter what, tomatoes are very nutritious and healthy.
Categories: Optical Illusion
Source: pagasa.edu.vn