Is tomato a fruit or a vegetable??

@nehaagra (848)
Singapore
July 14, 2009 9:40am CST
I really wanna know, what do you consider a tomato is, A fruit or a vegetable...
1 person likes this
14 responses
@Anandhh (389)
• India
16 Jul 09
tomato - Tomato is considered as both fruit and vegetable..
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 may be called 'vegetables' because they are used in savoury rather than sweet cooking. The tomato, though technically a fruit, is often used as a vegetable, and a bean pod is also technically a fruit. 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 a tomato is the fruit of the tomato plant, but can be used as a vegetable in cooking.
1 person likes this
@nehaagra (848)
• Singapore
16 Jul 09
Woow that's the perfect explanation to this.. Thought of marking it a best response, but saw i already marked it earlier, which was correct, though not this much explanatory..
@Tiamjr (435)
14 Jul 09
In scientific terms tomato is a fruit. It contains the seed so is therefore a fruit and not a vegetable. It is often used like a vegetable in cooking so that is where the idea of a tomato being a vegetable comes from. I have always grown up thinking of a tomato as a fruit. I can understand why many people like to think of it as a vegetable though. But it all comes down to what part of the plant the fruit or vegetable came from.
@Tiamjr (435)
15 Jul 09
Glad that helps you out. Thanks for the best response
@Shery32 (423)
• Saudi Arabia
14 Jul 09
You are right. Thanks for the Great info
1 person likes this
@a_manick (879)
• India
15 Jul 09
Tomato ,when raw and green it is a vegetable,we prepare curries with it.when it is ripe,and becomes red it is a fruit.we use it for seasoning and garnishing.
@nehaagra (848)
• Singapore
15 Jul 09
Looks quite explanatory... Thanx for the response, happy mylotting
@xfahctor (14118)
• Lancaster, New Hampshire
14 Jul 09
It's the fruit that eats like a vegatable. I am pretty sure it is classified as a fruit though. Although I have found tomato cake to be pretty tastey. I can't think of too many instances where it is used as a fruit. If anyone has any recipies for tomatoe based deserts, I 'd love them.
@nehaagra (848)
• Singapore
15 Jul 09
Tomato cake???, never heard of that...
@voldrox (7191)
• India
14 Jul 09
technically speaking tomato is a fruit used as a vegetable and watermelon is a vegetable used as a fruit...lol
@nehaagra (848)
• Singapore
15 Jul 09
Ohh is it , watermelon is a vegetable?? cucumber too is a friuit technically and so is Jackfruit...
1 person likes this
@dex1007 (556)
• Malaysia
15 Jul 09
I am very sure of this. it is considered a fruit... why??? hmm.... because it's ovary is based from a flower? the flower becomes seeds and then fruit. just like any other fruit. I think that's why its a fruit... not very sure.
@nehaagra (848)
• Singapore
15 Jul 09
Yep, you are actually correct dex1007..... Thanx for the response, Happy mylotting...
• India
15 Jul 09
Hi Neha, Just like the cucumber, I have always considered tomato as a vegetable though scientifically speaking, all veggies are ‘fruits’ of the plants LOL But they way we eat tomatoes and cucumber raw as in salads and then use tomato in cooking too, I think they would be more in the veggy section than fruits.
@harptech (144)
• India
14 Jul 09
Maybe a 'Frugitable'?? :D
@nehaagra (848)
• Singapore
15 Jul 09
May be.., good term...
• United States
14 Jul 09
Well supposedly a tomato is a fruit but I keep thinking that it is a vegetable. I just can't wrap my head around it. Oh well.
@playapal (894)
• United States
14 Jul 09
Well in my mind, a tomato is a vegetable. However I have been told all of my life that it is a member of the fruit family. It doesn't taste like a fruit to me!
• India
14 Jul 09
I support to what u have told .tamato is not a fruit as it does'nt taste like a fruit.
@maezee (42003)
• United States
14 Jul 09
I say a vegetable. A lot of people try to say that because tomatoes have seeds they could be considered fruit - but I don't agree with that. They're a vegetable as far as I'm concerned.
• India
14 Jul 09
ya i accept that tamato is a vegetable.because though it contains seeds that doesnt be used for consuming.
@zearah (5381)
• Philippines
15 Jul 09
For us here in house it's vegetable in the sense that this is being use or cook with vegetables. Though some people eat tomato like a fruit, make juice out of it. Here with us tomato is purely for cooking only as a spice with the other kinds as onion and garlic. The term may differ maybe because of purpose which depends on the consumers.
@busky5 (3164)
• Thailand
16 Jul 09
I a little remember tomato is vegetable.I think tomato is not good taste, and almost them use to cook, may not be fruit.
• India
14 Jul 09
i think tamato is a vegetable and not a fruit.because this is the eatable which cant be consumed directly with out cooking.
@nehaagra (848)
• Singapore
15 Jul 09
Technically if any thing has seeds, and grows from a flower is termed as fruit, and so is tomato..