We can easily distinguish between most fruits and vegetables, but when it comes to the age-old debate of whether a tomato is a fruit or a vegetable, people aren't always sure what to say. The answer is that tomatoes are technically both. The definition can differ depending on whether you're speaking to a botanist – whose definition is botanical – or a nutritionist or chef, whose definition is most likely to be culinary.
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Botanists classify plants according to their physiological characteristics, including structure, function, and organisation. Therefore, botanically speaking, fruits are seed-bearing products formed by the ovary of a flowering plant – the plant’s way of spreading its seeds. Botanical fruits are fruits that grow from the plant's flowers and have at least one seed. According to this definition, tomatoes are considered fruits because they contain seeds and grow from the flower of the tomato plant.
When it comes to vegetables, botanically speaking, a vegetable is more of a general term that encompasses all of the edible parts of a plant. Vegetables are any part of a plant that is not a fruit, including leaves (spinach, lettuce, cabbage), roots (carrots, beets, turnips), stems (asparagus), tubers (potatoes), bulbs (onions), and flowers (cauliflower and broccoli).
Yet, from a culinary perspective, it's a whole other story.
The culinary classification: tomatoes are vegetables
Foodies, nutritionists, and chefs use the culinary classification system, which defines fruits and vegetables differently, depending on their uses and flavour profiles. From a culinary perspective, vegetables have a tougher texture, are blander in flavour, and are usually cooked. In contrast, fruits have a soft texture, tend to be sweet or tart, and are typically eaten raw or in desserts or jams. Tomatoes can be juicy, sweet and enjoyed raw. Yet, tomatoes are also used in savoury dishes, which is why they are usually classified as vegetables. Generally, tomatoes are not used in desserts, and they are closely related to other fruit-vegetables, so it makes sense for tomatoes to be classified as vegetables.
To sum up - tomatoes are both fruits and vegetables
Tomatoes are fruits that are regarded as vegetables by nutritionists.
Though tomato is a fruit from a botanical perspective, it’s often used in savoury dishes, hence its culinary classification as a vegetable.
Other fruits that are commonly known as vegetables
Are they vegetables or fruits? For some reason, tomatoes are always taken as a classic example of this eternal debate. Tomatoes are not the only common vegetables that are fruits. We have seen that, in the world of food, there are many plants most people consider vegetables that are actually fruits, botanically speaking. We have already learned that fruits are ripened flower ovaries and contain seeds, so this botanical classification also applies to any vegetable with seeds as listed below.
Squash
Botanically speaking, squash are fruit because they contain seeds. We don’t recommend adding them to a fruit salad though!
Pumpkins
Part of the same family as squash and gourds, pumpkins are also fruit thanks to their rinds, fleshy interiors and seeds.
Cucumbers
Cucumbers are from the same fruit family as watermelon and cantaloupe. The seeds they contain and their hard outer layer make them a fruit.
Peppers
Anyone who has cut up a pepper knows they contain seeds, making them a fruit rather than a vegetable. They grow from the flowers of plants once the flower has been pollinated.
Eggplants or aubergine
Eggplants also grow from a plant and contain seeds, all of which makes them a fruit rather than a vegetable. Not only that, they are also technically a berry.
Beans
Like peas, beans are a member of the legume family, meaning they are seeds that come in pods, which makes them… yes, you’ve guessed it… fruit.
Peas
Peas are actually the seeds of the flowering plant species Pisum sativum. Botanically speaking, peas are fruit because they contain a seed and develop from a pea flower ovary.
Chickpeas
Like their bean and pea cousins, chickpeas are also fruit for the same reasons. Chickpea, or garbanzo, seeds are very high in protein.
Courgettes or zucchini
From the Cucurbitaceae family that includes squash, cucumbers and pumpkins, courgettes are definitely fruit, not least because they flower.
Corn
Each corn kernel contains a single seed. Fruits like corn are known as caryopses, making them both a fruit and a grain!
Avocados
An avocado contains three layers: the outer skin, the edible flesh and a sometimes imperceptible layer known as the endocarp that protects the seed/stone. This combination makes them a drupe and therefore a fruit.
Olives
These umami-packed delights are drupes, making them a fruit. If you crack open an olive stone, you’ll see that it contains an olive tree seed.
