That Time When The Supreme Court Had to Decide Whether Tomatoes Are Fruits or Vegetables

Is tomato a fruit or a vegetable? It is a trick question, because the answer depends on who you ask. A botanist will tell you that it’s a fruit, but ask a lawyer and you’ll have a different answer.

The fruit versus vegetable controversy is an old one, and even though the science is clear on that, it pops up in the press every few years. A fruit is the seed-bearing structure of a plant that develops from the ovary of the flower. A vegetable is any part of a plant which we consume. This can include flowers, stems, leaves, roots, seeds, and even fruits themselves. Fruit is a botanical term, whereas vegetable is a culinary term, and to mix both can only create confusion. But fruits also have a culinary meaning. Fruits tend to be sweet and are taken as snacks or desserts, while vegetables are less on fructose and tend to be served as part of the main dish or side dish. Under this classification, tomatoes can be considered vegetables, but so can many other botanical fruits such as green beans, pumpkins, cucumbers and eggplants.

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Source: amusingplanet.com

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