Is Tomato a Fruit or Vegetable?

From a scientific perspective, a tomato is a fruit. However, in the cooking domain, tomatoes are treated as a vegetable. This dual role helps make the tomato the most debated food item in classification. In botanical terms, tomatoes are fruit because they develop from the ovary of a flower and contain seeds. But the familiar flavour profile they exhibit when cooked or added to salads, sauces, and savoury dishes made them widely accepted as vegetables.

Read below to learn why this common food item is both a fruit and a vegetable and how it even reached the U.S. Supreme Court.

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Why is Tomato Considered a Fruit?

In botany, a fruit is defined as the matured ovary of a flowering plant, usually containing seeds. Tomatoes, like bananas and grapes, are developed from the fertilised ovary forming at the base of a flower, and it usually contains many seeds. Because of this definition, tomatoes are true fruits or, specifically, berries.

There are other fruit types that many people mistake as vegetables: cucumbers, bell peppers, pumpkins and even eggplant. All fit the botanical definition of being a fruit.

Is Tomato A Vegetable?

In the culinary world, ingredients are classified by taste and use. Fruits are usually sweet or tart and used in desserts and juices. Vegetables are more savoury or earthy, used in soups, stews, and main dishes. Since tomatoes are not typically eaten raw for sweetness and are used in savoury dishes like curries, sauces, and salads, they are culinarily classified as vegetables.

The Tomato Supreme Court Case

In 1893, the U.S. Supreme Court weighed in on this very issue in the case Nix v. Hedden. The case arose over a tax on imported vegetables—fruits were exempt. The court ruled that tomatoes should be taxed as vegetables based on their common usage in meals, even though botanically, they are fruits. This ruling is still cited today as an example of how law can diverge from science.

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Fun Facts About Tomatoes

• Tomatoes Are Berries: Like bananas, tomatoes are technically berries because they come from a single ovary and have seeds inside.
• Over 10,000 Varieties: There are thousands of tomato varieties, from tiny cherry tomatoes to large beefsteaks and heirlooms in colours like red, yellow, purple, and even black.
• Rich in Lycopene: Tomatoes are a top source of the antioxidant lycopene, linked to heart health and cancer prevention.
• Originally From South America: Tomatoes were first domesticated in western South America and later spread to Europe, Asia, and the rest of the world.
• Botanical Relatives: Tomatoes belong to the nightshade family, which includes potatoes, eggplants, and bell peppers.
• Largest varieties of tomato in the world: Gigantomo tomatoes are possibly the largest tomato available. These seeds can produce gigantic tomatoes that weigh between 700g and 1 kg. 

Conclusion

So is the tomato a vegetable or a fruit? It depends on who you ask. If you are a scientist, then it is a fruit. If you are a cook or a lawyer, then it is a vegetable. Either way, tomatoes are the world's favourite and most nutritious, versatile food.

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