There is a debate between those who classify the tomato in the group of vegetables and between those who add it to the category of fruits. But the truth is that, strangely enough, the tomato is a fruit and a vegetable at the same time. Why? What is the difference between fruits and vegetables?
In botanical terms, a fruit is the part of the plant that contains seeds. Fruits develop from the flower ovary after pollination and subsequent fertilization, thus forming a protective covering over the seeds.
On the other hand, vegetables are all other parts of the plant such as roots, stems and leaves. Following the premises of botany, apples, pumpkins and tomatoes are all fruits, while some roots such as beets, turnips or potatoes are vegetables. Also belonging to the group of vegetables are leaves such as kale, spinach and lettuce and various stems such as broccoli or celery.
However, in culinary and gastronomic terms the perception is quite different. While some foods are botanically speaking fruits, as they have a salty taste, chefs consider them vegetables. This happens with some botanical fruits such as aubergines, peppers, and tomatoes.
An ancient debate
The debate between fruits and vegetables is quite old. In fact, this controversy reached the Supreme Court of the United States in the 19th century. In 1987, a law was passed taxing imported vegetables, but not fruits. The companies that were in charge of importing tomatoes argued that they were exempt from paying the tax, since it was a fruit and not a vegetable. In addition, they resorted to botany to reinforce their argument, showing that the tomato, being the product of a flower, was a fruit.
The government recognized that, in botanical terms, the tomato was a fruit. However, they alleged that when served as part of meals and not in desserts, it was considered a vegetable. The companies were forced to pay the taxes, thus opening a debate that has remained to this day.
