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Tomatoes are one of the most popular and most versatile summer foods. Tomatoes are often grouped together with other vegetables in cuisine, but many people also know them as a fruit.
1. The difference between fruits and vegetables
Nutritionally, fruits and vegetables are both rich sources of vitamins, minerals and fiber. Although they have a lot in common, fruits and vegetables also have some distinct differences.
However, these differences can vary considerably depending on a cook's or a gardener's point of view. The classification of fruits and vegetables is mainly based on their structure and function.
Botanically, the fruit is formed from the flower, has seeds and aids in the reproduction of the plant. Some popular fruits include apples, peaches, blueberries, and raspberries. On the other hand, vegetables are the roots, stems, leaves or other ancillary parts of a plant. Some well-known vegetables include spinach, lettuce, carrots, radishes and celery
In contrast, when it comes to cooking, the system of grading fruits and vegetables varies considerably from the way they are classified. in plants. In cuisine, fruits and vegetables are classified and used mainly based on their taste. The fruit is usually soft in texture and tends to have a sweet taste, making it best suited for desserts, cakes, smoothies, jams, or eaten raw as a snack. In contrast, a vegetable usually has a mild taste, can be bitter, often has a firmer texture than a fruit and, some require cooking to be enjoyed. Vegetables are used for savory dishes such as stir-fries, stews, salads and casseroles.
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2. Tomato is a fruit
According to science, tomato is a fruit. All fruits have one or more seeds inside and develop from the flower of the plant. Like other fruits, tomatoes form from small yellow flowers on the plant and contain numerous seeds. These seeds can then be harvested and used to replant tomato plants. Some modern tomato cultivars have been cultivated to stop seed production. Even so, tomatoes are still considered a fruit.
3. Tomatoes are often used as a vegetable
Much of the confusion about whether a tomato is a fruit or a vegetable comes from popular culinary applications.
In cooking, tomatoes are often used alone or in combination with other vegetables, so tomatoes are considered a culinary vegetable. This is the classification method used by the Supreme Court of the United States in 1893 in a legal dispute with a tomato importer who argued that his tomatoes should be treated as a fruit to avoid paying a vegetable tax. .
It was in this case that the court ruled the tomato would be classified as a vegetable on the basis of culinary applications rather than as a scientific fruit. In fact, it's pretty much a plant that is scientifically classified as a fruit but used as a vegetable in culinary practice.
Other fruits that are commonly considered vegetables include:
Cucumbers Squash pea pods Chilies Eggplant Okra Although less common, the vegetable is sometimes used the same way as the fruit in recipes. certain cuisine. Examples include sweet dessert recipes like carrot cake or sweet potato pie.
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Reference article: Healthline.com
