So, what's the criteria for deciding whether something is a fruit or a vegetable? Is it about how sweet it tastes or how it's used in cooking? It turns out that botanists have a different way of looking at things than chefs do.
From a botanical standpoint, a fruit is the ripened ovary of a plant, which contains seeds. This means that tomatoes, cucumbers, and even squash are all technically fruits. But in the kitchen, we tend to think of them as vegetables because they're savory rather than sweet.
So, why does it matter what we call these foods? Is it just a matter of semantics or is there something more interesting going on? It's actually pretty cool to think about how our language and culture shape the way we think about food.
Tomato Fruit or Vegetable? The Real Explanation