I am positive we have all been asked of this question before: are tomatoes fruit or vegetable? Now, I have attempted to ask my teachers previously; my Science teacher told me she believes tomatoes are vegetable while my Foods teacher taught us that they are a fruit of a vegetable plant. After hearing them answer the question so differently, I was perplexed. I wondered, “What exactly are tomatoes?”
Tomatoes are a glossy and pulpy plant that contain seeds. They can be eaten raw and cooked and are primarily used in salads and sauces, and carry a bright, tangy flavour.
According to the Oxford dictionary, tomatoes are scientifically considered a fruit. This is because true fruits are developed from the ovary in the base of the flower, and contain the seed of the plant. When male sex cells fertilize ovaries, they in turn become fruit. Vegetable, on the other hand, are just the edible parts of plants. They include bulbs, flowers, fruits, leaves, roots, seeds, stems, and tubers. One of the fruits of a vegetable plant include that of a tomato. That being said, my Foods teacher is correct. Similar to cucumbers, eggplants, peppers, pumpkins [and] snap beans, tomatoes are also fruits of vegetable plants.
It seems that the reason as to why the above plants are often perceived as vegetables is because they are majorly used to prepare savoury dishes. Regardless, tomatoes are extremely nutritious as they contain many vitamins and nutrients and promote a healthy lifestyle when eaten.
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