Tomatoes are fruit not vegetable, why?

Answer 1

Botanically, a tomato is the ovary, together with its seeds, of a flowering plant: a fruit or, more precisely, a berry. However, the tomato is not as sweet as those foodstuffs usually called fruits and, from a culinary standpoint, it is typically served as part of a salad or main course of a meal, as are vegetables, rather than at dessert, as are fruits. As noted above, the term "vegetable" has no botanical meaning and is purely a culinary term.

This argument has had legal implications in the United States. In 1887, U.S. tariff laws that 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 the controversy in 1893 by declaring that the tomato is a vegetable, based on the popular definition that classifies vegetables by use, that they are generally served with dinner and not dessert (Nix v. Hedden (149 U.S. 304)). The holding of the case applies only to the interpretation of the Tariff Act of March 3, 1883, and the court did not purport to reclassify the tomato for botanical or other purposes other than paying a tax under a tariff act.

Answer 2

I love this question. Because I know the answer. Way back when, when countries were first bringing tomatoes across continents, they had to pay a tariff for transporting fruit. That tariff was pretty high so since tomatoes were fairly new to other countries, the country sending it in said it was a vegetable - and paid a smaller tariff for shipping it in.

That's the long and short of it.

Answer 3

Not just because they contain seeds but because they are the bud of the plant from which they grow, just like apples and oranges, they come from the flower of the plant. Vegetables, however, are usually another part of the plant, like the root (carrots) or the stalk (celery). This also makes corn a fruit, did you know that?

Answer 4

The seed is inside the fruit

Answer 5

Someone mentioned if you go by the seed thing, then aren't cucumbers and pumpkins fruits too? Well, the truth is, cucumber is definitely a fruit, believe it or not. I've had this discussion with my relatives a few days ago.

Answer 6

technically they are a fruit (it is the berry of the tomato plant), but the Supreme Court ruled that it was a vegetable in 1893 (for taxation purposes).

Answer 7

in BOTANY, FRUIT, because it has seeds. there's no such thing as a vegetable in botany. fruit, stem, root, leaf, flower, etc.

in COOKING, they just say it's a VEGETABLE, because it goes in the same types of dishes as other vegetables. fruits usually go in desserts, but tomatoes don't so they don't call it a fruit. fruits, vegetables, grain, dairy, meat, etc.

Answer 8

It is one of a few culinary vegetables that is also a botanical fruit. So it's both!

Answer 9

they are a fruit. with a vegitable, the part that you eat is wither the leaves or the seed. with a fruit what you eat is the seed container.

Answer 10

fruits have seeds, vegetables don't