Author Topic: Tomatoes: Fruit or Vegetable?? (Read 2192 times)

Kudrat Kaur · « **on:** February 10, 2011, 10:30:00 PM »

The confusion if tomato is a fruit or a vegetable, is as old as tomato itself. Although, science has already answered this question, common people still fumble when it comes to deciding, if tomato is a fruit or vegetable.

Botanical Perspective
Botanical science defines fruits, as ripened ovaries of the flowering plants. Thus, fruits are the dissemination of seeds in flowering plants. Going by this definition, tomato is definitely a fruit. But that would also mean that peas, eggplants, pumpkins, capsicum, cucumber etc. are fruits! Seeds are the part of a plant that make a fruit a 'fruit' and vegetable a 'vegetable'. The term 'vegetable' does not exist in botany. Hence according to scientists, all the seed producing flowering plants produce fruits and not vegetables.

Horticultural Perspective
True fruits are perennial and have a hard wood, as opposed to tomato, which is an annual plant and has a soft wood. Thus, horticulture classifies tomato as a vegetable.

Culinary Perspective
If you ask the same question to a cook, he'll tell you that tomato is a vegetable and not a fruit. Culinary science defines fruits as sweet, fleshy foods used in dessert recipes. Tomato does not fit into this definition and hence is a vegetable. Moreover, they are always served as a part of the main course and not as a dessert, this distinguishes tomato from the fruits.

Legal Perspective
In 1893, the United States Supreme Court gave its verdict, declaring tomato as a vegetable. During that time, fruits were not liable to import taxes. Thus, markets were flooded with cheap tomatoes from other countries. This agitated the consortium of local cultivators, who filed a suit in the court. The court's verdict pacified the consortium and made tomato liable for taxes.

Government Perspective
Lot of confusion prevails, regarding tomato's status at the Government level as well. Tomato was awarded the status of 'state fruit' by the State of Tennessee in 2003, while the State of New Jersey is on the verge of declaring tomato as 'state vegetable'. State of Arkansas, went further and declared the 'south Arkansas vine ripe pink tomato' as both the state fruit and vegetable.

Tomato is a great source of Vitamin C with 100 grams (3.5 oz) containing 13mg, serving 22% of daily intake recommendation for adults. Speaking of personal experience, when u get the common cold and u eat two mid-sized tomatos -- instantly it could help u miraculously ...Highly recommended ~~fruit vegetable~~ whatever it is!

Whats ur perspective??

Author Topic: Tomatoes: Fruit or Vegetable?? (Read 2192 times)

Kudrat Kaur

Tomatoes: Fruit or Vegetable??

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