Is tomato a fruit or vegetable yahoo answers

A vegetablemeanwhile, is a usually herbaceous plant such as the cabbagebean, or potato grown for an edible part that is usually eaten as part of a meal. Yes, science nerds, a tomato is technically a fruit. It meets all the botanical criteria for fruits:.

Many of us can easily distinguish the differences between most fruit and vegetables but when it comes to the age-old question of, is a tomato a fruit or a vegetable, we are not really sure what to answer! Look no further, because the answer is, tomatoes are technically both! While fruits and vegetables both count as part of our recommended 5-a-day , fruits and vegetables have distinct differences. A nutritionist, chef or even your grandma, would use the culinary classification system, that defines fruits and vegetables in a slightly different manner, basing it on the way the plants are used and their flavour profiles. Tomatoes can be juicy, sweet and enjoyed raw. Yet, we also prepare tomatoes in savoury dishes, which is why we usually classify tomatoes as vegetables. So why can we classify tomatoes in two different ways, when it confuses us all?

Is tomato a fruit or vegetable yahoo answers

In the world of food, there are many plants most people consider vegetables that are actually fruits, botanically speaking. The most famous example is probably the tomato. Its status as a fruit or a vegetable was so contentious that in the Supreme Court had to weigh in and settle the issue once and for all. What it comes down to isn't sweetness, but seeds. So fruit isn't part of the plant itself, but a reproductive part growing from the plant. When we eat vegetables, on the other hand, we're eating the plant itself or some of its parts, like roots, stems, or leaves. Tomatoes are far from the only example of common vegetables that are actually fruits. Read on to see 14 foods you've been misunderstanding this whole time. Even though tomatoes are technically a fruit, it doesn't stop people from treating it and most of the other foods on this list as a vegetable. It's that logic that prompted the Supreme Court to declare in that tomatoes should be taxed like other vegetables. Anyone who's carved a jack-o-lantern for Halloween knows that pumpkins are full of seeds. Pumpkins and all other gourds are technically fruits, not vegetables. Speaking of gourds, cucumbers are an unexpected member of that family, too. Will you ever look at pickles the same way again?

Newsletter Sign Up. When we eat vegetables, on the other hand, we're eating the plant itself or some of its parts, like roots, stems, or leaves. The judges disagreed, ruling that in the "common language of the people, whether sellers or consumers of provisions," tomatoes are vegetables.

And while your elementary-school teacher or know-it-all friend may have informed you that tomatoes are technically fruits, the answer isn't so clear-cut. In reality, tomatoes are both fruits and vegetables at the same time. The explanation lies in the two different ways that "fruit" is defined. First, it is true that scientifically speaking, tomatoes are fruits. According to Merriam-Webster, a fruit is "the usually edible reproductive body of a seed plant. That definition includes apples, tomatoes, and anything else that grows from a plant and contains seeds.

About this rating. Many nutritionists and botanists consider the food a fruit based on its genetic structure and function. However, that's not the only word on the matter. Other nutritionists, the U. Supreme Court, the USDA, and culinary experts have classified tomatoes as vegetables based on flavor and their role in recipes.

Is tomato a fruit or vegetable yahoo answers

The tomato. It seems like a vegetable. It feels like a vegetable. It tastes like a vegetable.

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Specifically, they're considered a stone fruit, like peaches, mangoes, and dates. Pumpkins and all other gourds are technically fruits, not vegetables. Email Twitter icon A stylized bird with an open mouth, tweeting. Will you ever look at pickles the same way again? For example, the botanical classification is useful for a botanist when they want to discover the origins of tomatoes, help them identify different varieties of tomatoes, or understand how to grow and harvest various tomatoes. Cherry Tomato Caprese Salad. But not only are eggplants botanically fruits, they are considered berries—very, very large berries. Many of us can easily distinguish the differences between most fruit and vegetables but when it comes to the age-old question of, is a tomato a fruit or a vegetable, we are not really sure what to answer! That's because they contain the seeds — the peas — that the plant uses to reproduce. You can trace the origin of tomatoes back to South America thousands of years ago, where wild tomato species grew in Ecuador, Peru, northern Chile, and the Galapagos Islands. Recommended Stories. Executive Lifestyle. To summarise, tomatoes are usually prepared in savoury dishes despite botanically being a fruit, which is why they are often described as a vegetable from a culinary perspective.

Tomatoes contain seeds and grow from flowers, making them a fruit botanically.

But whether the pepper is on the sweet side like a bell pepper or on the super spicy side like a habanero, they are all derived from a flower and therefore are fruits. Its classification was important because it determined the amount of taxes that importers of fruits and vegetables would have to pay on tomatoes. Speaking of gourds, cucumbers are an unexpected member of that family, too. We usually don't see them inside their pods , but chickpeas are classified the same way as peas and beans. Wilson's announced deal with Pittsburgh went down before free agency even began. Use limited data to select advertising. Share icon An curved arrow pointing right. You may accept or manage your choices by clicking below, including your right to object where legitimate interest is used, or at any time in the privacy policy page. Pumpkins and all other gourds are technically fruits, not vegetables. Thanks for signing up! Corn is treated like a grain in agriculture and like a vegetable in the kitchen. Generally speaking, fruits are the seed-bearing part of a plant that requires pollination to grow and whose dissemination will spread the species further afield.