"Did you know that tomatoes are actually fruit"

[Dandelionchaser]

Why do people say this? Surely everyone knows this already? I hear it from enough people that it must be common knowledge. Even DD6 admonishes me for including tomato on a list of vegetables. But why do I never hear "a pepper is actually a fruit", "a squash is actually a fruit" "an aubergine is actually a fruit"? Do people just parrot the tomato fact without considering the presence of seeds and that maybe they know many other vegetables that are technically fruits as well, and that it doesn't matter?

Probably because it's the most commonly eaten 'it's a fruit not a veggie'..and an awful lot of people either have no idea or couldn't care less.
If I think about it, a lot of the produce I grow on my allotment is technically fruit... toms, peppers, cucumbers,aubergines, various other squash. But I still say 'I'm popping up to check on the veggies'!

There is no definition of a vegetable beyond being a plant that you eat. Culinary rather than scientific. Fruit has a scientific definition but also a culinary expectation.

Most people don't know and don't care how either word is really defined. It's just one of those inane "Did you know..." moments.

Yep. "Knowledge is realising that tomato is a fruit. Wisdom is knowing that it doesn't belong in a fruit salad".

Personally, I think toms are the food of Satan and don't belong anywhere. When I'm PM, they'll be banned 🍅🤬🤣

There was a point when I was growing up that I realised that the majority of folks seem to have taken on a set group of facts, and then they tell everyone else these facts, most of whom also know the facts.

"Knowledge is realising that tomato is a fruit. Wisdom is knowing that it doesn't belong in a fruit salad"

I would add "self awareness is not pointing it out" 😆

Wait until your DD notices rhubarb is a vegetable, OP.

Yeah, it’s annoying.

I might be wrong and if I am, I’m sure I will be corrected!🤣
Fruits have seeds.
Vegetables are the flowers, leaves, stems or roots of a plant.
OP your child will be telling you broccoli is a flower!

When I lived in Japan, it was commonly known that a tomato was a vegetable and frankly, they would fight me for it. Likewise a watermelon is a vegetable there too. History tells us not to fight the Japanese.

The difference between fruits and vegetables are that fruits form from the flower after it has finished flowering, so beans, peas, peppers, aubergine, courgettes, etc. If the plant doesn't produce a flower it won't produce a fruit. They have seeds, or would go on to make seeds if not picked.

Vegetables are any other edible part of the plant such as leaves, stems, root, tubers, flower buds, shoots eg cabbage, celery, carrot, potato, cauliflower, asparagus.

Have we mentioned strawberries yet?

It’s amazing that there are still people in the world who are using the word ‘vegetables’ instead of ‘veggies’. It gives me hope.

This! Veggies is possibly the worlds worst word 🤣

And bananas are a herb

Bananas are a berry. As are cucumbers, aubergines, tomatoes. Blackberries, raspberries, mulberries, strawberries aren’t berries. Most of the fruits we call berries aren’t berries at all 😂 Blueberries are actual berries though. Mange tout are berries but peas are seeds.

You are kind of correct. Bananas don’t grow on trees, they are herbaceous plants.

Chocolate comes from a plant and so is a salad?

And philosophy is wondering if that means ketchup is a smoothie

My 10 year old does this. It depends entirely on what set of definitions you are working from.

Knowledge is knowing that a tomatoes is a fruit
Wisdom is knowing not to put a tomatoes in a fruit salad
Philosophy is wondering if tomato sauce is a smoothie
Common sense is knowing that it isn't!

@strawlight snap!

Oh absolutely not. I can do self-awareness but ..... all bets are off if some daft bugger puts toms in me fruit salad 😮

Seeing as we are getting philosophical pedantic, what is a fruit salad? Watermelon and feta? Greek salad (olives, cucumber and tomatoes are all fruit)?

I just tell them botanical definitions and culinary ones are different. A botanical friut can be a culinary vegetable and vice versa.

I quite fancy a mango, raspberry and passionfruit salad just now

love this ^

I'm not voting for you then...

Nope that award is reserved for "holibobs"

Yes! Veggies are people who are vegetarian. Veg or vegetables are things you eat.