Is the tomato a fruit or a vegetable? And while the answer may seem obvious in some contexts, there are a few surprises in store!
Scientifically speaking... it's a fruit!
In botany, a fruit is the edible part of a plant that comes from the flower and contains the seeds. Under this definition, the tomato ticks all the boxes. It develops from the ovary of the flower and contains seeds: just like apples, melons... or eggplants!
So yes, the tomato is indeed a fruit.
In the kitchen, we tend to classify foods according to taste and use. Fruit is sweet, often eaten as a dessert or snack. Vegetables, on the other hand, are salty or neutral, and accompany main courses. With its slightly acid taste, the tomato can be found in salads, sauces, pizzas...In short, it can be cooked like a vegetable.
A court case
This debate is not new. In 1893, the U.S. Supreme Court had to decide the issue in a customs tax case: Nix v. Hedden. The verdict? The tomato is a vegetable, at least according to culinary usage. Result: it was taxed as such at the time.
For the curious, the full decision is available here: Nix v. Hedden, 149 U.S. 304 (1893)
In conclusion, the tomato remains a fruit for botanists, a vegetable in the kitchen... but at Gen V, the tomato is above all a tasty essential, grown with care to be at the heart of your plates.
