Is Tomato a Fruit ?

Is Tomato a Fruit? it is Time to put the Debate to Rest:

Is tomato a fruit or vegetable? This seemingly easy question has led to one of the most different arguments in the world in kitchens, classrooms and the courtrooms . You may have had the arguments on both sides but what is the real answer? Moving aside the layers of mystery, now it is time to draw to the point on this juicy mystery.

What is a Fruit? The Botanical View

Before we can understand the source of this confusion we must discuss what botanists claim about fruits and vegetables?

In the view of biological perspective, a fruit is the matured ovary of a flowering plant and typically has seeds. Fruits grow out of the fertilized ovary of a flower, and these are like vessels to carry and disseminate seeds. It implies that fruits may be sweet or savory fruits and even such fruits as avocados, cucumbers, and tomatoes are fruits!

On the other hand, the Vegetables are fruits of plants that we cannot eat (vegetables have roots such as (carrots, beets), stems (celery), leaves (lettuce, spinach), and flowers (broccoli, cauliflower)).

Tomato falls under the botanical definition of fruit since tomatoes grow on the blossom of tomato plant and it contain seeds. To be more precise, tomatoes belong to the family of such fleshy fruits as berries, which contain seeds.

That is so scientifically speaking: tomato = fruit.

• The question then is Why do we call it a vegetable in the kitchen?

The culinary world is not necessarily botanical. However, cooks divide foods by flavor, texture and utilization.

Fruits are sweet or tart and are used as a dessert, snack or a juice (such as, apples, berries or peaches). Vegetables have a mushy or even savory taste and are combined with main meals, side meals or salad dishes.

Tomatoes are salty in taste and are hardly consumed in the form of a sweet snack. They are cooked with sauces, which includ into the salads or seem with meat and grains. Due to this flavorful nature and common application, tomatoes have been used as vegetables in cooking since hundreds of years.

The Lawful Tale of the Tomatoes Going to Court: The Legal Side of the Story:

One of the weirdest food debates in the history of the U.S. was over the category of a tomato, which was determined by the Supreme Court in the 1893. The Nix v. was on the issue of taxation on tomatoes as fruit or vegetable, Hedden.

Why did it make a difference? During this period, all vegetables that are imported were taxed and fruits were not. Importers sought to change the tomatoes to be classified as the fruits in a bid to evade the tariffs.

The supreme court unanimously concluded that tomatoes are to be treated as vegetables (tariff wise) since they are widely consumed as vegetables in the meals. The court recognized the botanical meaning instead opting to rely on the ordinary culinary meaning.

Therefore on the legal front tomatoes are vegetables, but scientifically they are fruit.

Entertaining Tomato Facts Which You Have Not Heard:

• Colorful tomatoes: Tomatoes are not always red as we largely perceive them to be; they even come in different colors such as yellow, green, purple, black and even striped tomatoes. The colors vary flavor and nutrients provided.
• Origins: Tomatoes are native to western South America and indigenous in Mexico where they have been under cultivation more than 2,000 years ago.
• Tomato festivals: Tomato festivals and events are celebrated in many cities, one such is the famous La Tomatina festival of Spain in which thousands of people gather and have one hell of a tomato throwing fight!
• Health benefits: Tomatoes lead to a healthy heart and may be cancer preventing due to a strong antioxidant called lycopene; Tomatoes are a source of vitamins A, C, and K.

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What is so Important about this Debate?

Over and above the fact that it is an interesting trivia question, the classification of tomato influences:

• Innovation in cooking: Having knowledge of the botanical and food function classes is beneficial since a chef can be able to creatively mix fruits and vegetables in a manner that is not common in the culinary world.

Nutrition Education: Realizing the fact that tomatoes are fruits can make people change their thinking patterns regarding nutrition and that food variety is essential.

• Legal, trade consequences: Like many history teaches us that a classification may have actual implications on tariffs, food labeling and regulations.

Tomatoes Usage:

With your current awareness of the fact that tomatoes are scientifically fruits or vegetables. Here are juicy bits of advice on how to use tomatoes in kitchen?

• Fresh salad: Fresh salad tastes very clear with juicy tomatoes.
• Sauces and soups: Reduce tomatoes into thick sauces or soups i.e. regular old marinara or tomato soup.
• Roasted or grilled: Roasted tomatoes become sweet, which makes a perfect shape or topping.
• Salsa and dips: Mix tomatoes with onions, cilantro, and lime to have fresh salsa and dips.
• Burgers and sandwiches: Tomatoes are a typical friendly, which adds the fresh crunch and the frenzied flavor.

The Verdict is Fruit or Vegetable:

What is tomato, a vegetable or a fruit? The solution has to do with perception:

• Botanically: It breathes: a fruit – a fleshy berry with seeds.
• Culinarily: It is a vegetable – spicy, and braised together with the other vegetables.
• In terms of legality: It is a vegetable- tax reasons, trade considerations.

You can call it what you like but the tomato is a versatile favorite around the world.