Is tomato a fruit or a vegetable?

Question

I heard that tomato is a fruit.. what would u say about it ?

Answer 1

A tomato is a fruit. Any food item that comes from a plant and has seeds is actually a fruit but many people think they are vegetables. Squash, cucumbers, and green beans are really actually fruits as well. Anything that is non seed bearing is a vegetable.

Answer 2

Botanically speaking, a tomato is the ovary, together with its seeds, of a flowering plant, i.e. a fruit. However, from a culinary perspective the tomato is typically served as a meal, or part of a main course of a meal, meaning that it would be considered a vegetable.

This argument has led to actual legal implications in the United States. In 1887, U.S. tariff laws which imposed a duty on vegetables but not on fruits caused the tomato's status to become a matter of legal importance. The U.S. Supreme Court settled this controversy in 1893, declaring that the tomato is a vegetable, using the popular definition which classifies vegetable by use, that they are generally served with dinner and not dessert. The case is known as Nix v. Hedden.

The USDA also considers a tomato a vegetable.

It should be noted that strictly speaking the holding of the case applies only to the interpretation of the Tariff Act of March 3, 1883 and not much else. The court does not purport to reclassify tomato for botanical or for any other purpose other than paying a tax under a tariff act.

In concordance with this classification, the tomato has been proposed as the state fruit of New Jersey. Arkansas takes both sides by declaring the "South Arkansas Vine Ripe Pink Tomato" to be both the state fruit and the state vegetable in the same law, citing both its botanical and culinary classifications.

Answer 3

Many people , including most vegetarians think that the Tomato is a vegetable but they are wrong - it is an insect and lives on the branches of the tomato bush disguised as a fruit . It pounces upon passing caterpillars and slugs suddenly - they have no chance ! Unfortunately , it disguises itself so well as a fruit that it can be picked and enjoyed with a good old fashioned salad without anyone being wise to the actual ingredients .

Answer 4

It has seeds, so it's a fruit...but check this out!

"In 1893 , the Supreme Court ruled that the tomato must be considered a vegetable, even though, botanically, it is a fruit. Because vegetables and fruits were subject to different import duties, it was necessary to define it as one or the other. So, tomatoes were declared to be a vegetable given that it was commonly eaten as one. (Source: The Packer, 6/9/90)"

How dumb is that?! A judicial ruling on the classification of the tomato! lol

Answer 5

A tomato is a fruit but for commercial purposes it is called a vegetable.

Answer 6

Botanically speaking, the tomato you eat is a fruit.A "fruit" is any fleshy material covering a seed or seeds.


Horticulturally speaking, the tomato is a vegetable plant. The plant is an annual and nonwoody.

Answer 7

Tomato is a fruit

Answer 8

I agree. Tomato is a fruit containing 95% water.

Answer 9

The tomato (Solanum lycopersicum, formerly Lycopersicon lycopersicum) is a plant in the Solanaceae or nightshade family, native to Central, South, and southern North America from Mexico to Peru. It is a short-lived perennial plant, grown as an annual plant, typically growing to 1-3 m in height, with a weakly woody stem that usually scrambles over other plants. It is a close relative of the potato.

Answer 10

it's a vegetable. tell me what ripe fruit you can literally use to cook food with if you claim that tomato is a fruit.