The confusion about 'fruit' and 'vegetable' arises because of the differences in usage between scientists and cooks. Scientifically speaking, a tomato is definitely a fruit. True fruits are developed from the ovary in the base of the flower, and contain the seeds of the plant (though cultivated forms may be seedless). Blueberries, raspberries, and oranges are true fruits, and so are many kinds of nut. Some plants have a soft part which supports the seeds and is also called a 'fruit', though it is not developed from the ovary, the strawberry is an example. As far as cooking is concerned, some things which are strictly fruits, such as tomatoes or bean pods, may be called 'vegetables' because they are used in savoury rather than sweet cooking. The term 'vegetable' is more generally used of other edible parts of plants, such as cabbage leaves, celery stalks, and potato tubers, which are not strictly the fruit of the plant from which they come. Occasionally the term 'fruit' may be used to refer to a part of a plant which is not a fruit, but which is used in sweet cooking: rhubarb, for example. So, the answer to the question is that a tomato is technically the fruit of the tomato plant, but it's used as a vegetable in cooking.
Sorry about giving you a lecture about fruits and vegetables.
It is a fruit, because a vegetable is free of seeds inside the actual fruit. That ends the conversation, when coupled with some of the links already provided. End thread. Close it down. Your question has been answered.
The tomato is a savory, typically red, edible fruit, as well as the plant which bears it. Originating in South America, the tomato was spread around the world following the Spanish colonization of the Americas, and its many varieties are now widely grown, often in greenhouses in cooler climates. The tomato fruit is consumed in diverse ways, including raw, as an ingredient in many dishes and sauces, and in drinks. While it is botanically a fruit, it is considered a vegetable for culinary purposes , which has caused some confusion. The fruit is rich in lycopene, which may have beneficial health effects.
Wow! For 19 years I've believed that the tomato was a vegetable. I hadn't even heard it be called a fruit before. It was just so obviously a vegetable to me. At first, I came here to tell you what a silly question it was, but then I read the other comments on the first page, and realized that I was wrong.
Sure, most of you people might not care, but for me, this is huge. Like, discovering-the-world-is-actually-round big. I love tomatoes, but I don't like vegetables. Now I can finally eat tomatoes without feeling ashamed.
So, if it's all about the seeds that makes pumpkin and cucumber fruits too, but what about peas and zucchini? I'm not particularly sure how either grow but I'm pretty sure zucchini has little seeds in it, and aren't peas like, the seeds themselves and grow in little pods?
