In everyday life, each person uses fruits and vegetables for cooking, without thinking about whether there are any fundamental differences between them or not. Meanwhile, botanists have a well-defined position on what exactly refers to fruits and what to vegetables. Let's try and we understand this difficult issue.
Fruit are the fruits of plants that appear after the flowers fade and the ovary is formed. These fruits must necessarily have seeds, large or small, soft or hard - but they are always present in fruits. In addition, the shell around the seeds can be either hard (called the shell) or fleshy (called the pulp). Many people believe that fruits mainly grow only on trees and shrubs, but due to the features described above, the fruits of plants, which, out of habit, many consider vegetables, can also be classified as fruits. For example, botanists around the world are of the opinion that cucumbers, tomatoes, peas, pumpkins and strawberries belong to fruits.
vegetables called the individual parts of plants that are suitable for cooking. These can be various tubers, soft stems, leaves or inflorescences, that is, those parts of plants that are not associated with reproduction. Vegetables do not have a hard, tall stem because their life cycle is rather short. This is due to the fact that such plants are annuals, that is, they grow for only one year, and die with the advent of cold weather. In this regard, there is no need to have a hard stem and powerful leaves, since the main emphasis is on growing seeds that will be viable in the next year. But in this case, in most cases, people do not eat plant seeds, with the exception of, for example, dill or corn.
If a person believes that vegetables and fruits differ only in what plants (tree-like or herbaceous) they grow on, then this approach is not entirely correct. Biologists are of the opinion that it is necessary to separate these concepts on the basis of which part of the plant they belong to. In other words, fruits are ripened fruits that contain one or more plant seeds, while vegetables are any part of a plant suitable for food, whether it be a root, leaf, tuber or stem.
Findings site
- Fruits are the fruits of a plant, while vegetables are any part of it;
- Fruits necessarily contain seeds that are subsequently able to germinate and give life to a new plant, and vegetables are a part of a plant that is not capable of reproducing its own kind;
- Fruits grow on plants that have both hard and soft stems, as for vegetables, they are part of plants that are only herbaceous.
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08.05.2018
The reason for the existing confusion in the definition of fruits and vegetables is not primarily scientists - biologists, but culinary specialists. Historically, over time, the biological characteristics of products faded into the background, since the main part of people, when classifying fruits, began to focus solely on their taste characteristics according to the principle:
Sweet fruits are fruits belonging to the group of desserts
More savory in taste and suitable for cooking as a main course or side dish, these are vegetables
Let's look at a few examples:
A tomato. Vegetable or fruit?
It is noteworthy that in distant Spain this culture is called " Pomi del Peru", which translates as " peruvian apple". In Italy, this plant is called " Pomo d'oro" or " Golden Apple". The loving French called tomatoes the beautiful phrase " poma amoris", which translates as " love apple", and the ancient Aztecs called the tomato" Tomatl" or " large berry”, which is closest to the scientific designation of the plant.
The fact is that, according to its botanical characteristics, the tomato is a multi-star syncarp berry. Its fruits have a thin skin and rich juicy pulp with small seeds inside. Why not a berry?
Although if we carefully consider the method of growing tomatoes, we will see that it is very similar to the methods of growing all other representatives of the vegetable crop family, since the tomato is a tilled annual plant. This factor also introduces some confusion.
In Ukraine, tomatoes are mistakenly referred to as vegetables, since tomatoes, like other vegetable crops, are used to prepare salads, sauces and first courses. They are pickled, stuffed, baked and so on.
Cucumber. Vegetable or fruit?
Another extremely popular and widespread vegetable crop is the cucumber. It is noteworthy that this plant has been purposefully cultivated by man for more than three millennia, and today there is a huge variety of its various varieties and hybrids.
In fact, a cucumber is a fruit that looks like a climbing vine, which, with the help of its spiral curls, reaches up, diligently clinging to any obstacles and structures.
Let's put an end to the long dispute: Who is who?
To begin with, it is necessary to define what is a fruit and what is a vegetable, because, as it turned out, neither the color of the plants, nor their external shape, nor the size and configuration of the fruit is absolutely important to find the truth.
Fruit
Fruits are edible fruits whose main natural function is to store the seeds by which plants reproduce. Based on this definition, cucumbers, eggplants, legumes, corn, and even nuts are nothing but fruits.
The fruit is the edible part of the plant, but separates from it as it matures so that the seeds can fall into the ground and eventually germinate.
Vegetables
As for vegetables, they are also the edible part of the plant, but may consist of leaves, stems, roots, bulbs, and inflorescences.
Among other things, botanists divide the group of vegetables into the following types:
Leafy (spinach, lettuce)
Root crops (beets, carrots, radishes)
Stems (celery, rhubarb, ginger)
flower buds (cauliflower and broccoli)
Thus, it is determined that from a purely botanical point of view, fruits are the fruits of plants that develop from a flower and contain seeds. And if so, then legumes, corn, pumpkin, cucumbers, tomatoes, peppers, and so on, should be attributed to fruits, since all these plants produce flowers and produce seeds. Based on this principle, nuts and cereals are also fruits.
Vegetables are the edible parts of herbaceous plants: stems, leaves, roots, and even flower buds.
This has been sorted out a bit.
Alternative points of view
However, in the countries of the European continent, there is a completely different approach to the method of determining fruits and vegetables. All the juicy fruits of plants (and in particular, berries and drupes) are referred to as fruits, so a tomato, from the point of view of a European, is a fruit. Again, a complete mess.
There is another method for separating fruits and vegetables. It is quite simple: If the part of the plant that nourishes the fruit with nutrients and moisture remains unchanged for several years, then this crop is a fruit. Dot. If not, then we have a vegetable.
If you look from this point of view, say, at fruit garden trees, then they all have long-term boles and branches, and only fruits and leaves are subject to annual renewal. And, for example, such a crop as the same tomato is grown annually and at the end of the season the plant dies. Thus, a tomato is a vegetable.
But what about, for example, a banana? Nothing complicated.
The fact is that in a banana palm, which bears well-known fruits, the annual renewal of wood is hidden from view, since it occurs in the inner part of the tree, while the outer part (bark) remains unchanged. Therefore, people who call bananas fruits make a mistake. The situation is similar with pineapple.
But if we take, for example, the date palm, then its fruits (dates) are actually fruits, since the physiology of these two plants is significantly different from each other.
The traditional grape is also a fruit because it has perennial stems and a single root system.
Nuts, as mentioned above, also belong to the representatives of fruit crops, but peanuts are called a nut by mistake. He is a 100% vegetable.
According to this principle, strawberries should be attributed to vegetables, and shrubs such as currants or gooseberries to fruits.
Almost everyone loves fruits and berries. After all, they are so tasty and healthy! We admire various fruits lying on the table: peaches, apples, pears, plums, apricots - and we don’t know which one to choose. We inhale the aroma of berries: blueberries, raspberries, strawberries, currants, gooseberries - and we salivate. And here is a watermelon ... Is it really a berry too? What is the difference between a fruit and a berry? Let's try to figure it out.
What is the difference between a fruit and a berry
What is fruit and berry
Fruit - the juicy fruit of a tree or shrub
Which can be eaten.
Berry - juicy fleshy fruit
with many seeds, a kind of fruit.
Comparison of fruit and berry
What is the difference between fruit and berry? It turns out that in botany there is a term "fruit", but the word "fruit" is not used at all. The fruit is a plant organ that is formed from the ovary of a flower and contains seeds (or one large bone inside), and it can be both edible and inedible. Therefore, the fruits are cucumbers, and tomatoes, and melons, and peaches, and cherries, and even nuts. A berry in botany is a type of multi-seeded fruit. In a botanical sense, berries include gooseberries, currants, potatoes, asparagus, bananas, kiwis, watermelons, and even eggplant and tomato. At the same time, strawberries, strawberries, and wild roses are considered false berries in botany, since not only the ovary, but also the receptacle takes part in the development of the fetus. Read more: http://thedifference.ru/chem-otlichaetsya-frukt-ot-yagody/
Each of us knows from childhood that the best sweets and the most healthy desserts are fresh fruits and berries. Fruits plucked directly from the garden are considered especially vitamin. We love to eat them not only fresh, but also make jams from them, add them to cereals and yogurts, and also make other dishes.
What is the difference between these two groups? How is a berry different from a fruit? How to distinguish one from the other on your own at home, without resorting to the help of a botany guide? You will find answers to these questions in our material.
What is a fruit?
In the modern world, the variety of such fruits is simply amazing, and supermarket shelves are literally full of not only domestic, but also exotic fruits and berries.
First, let's deal with scientific terminology.
Generally speaking, the word "fruit" came to Russian from the Latin language and in a literal direct translation it means "fruit". In scientific circles, in particular among botanists, fruits are called that way.
If we explain scientific terms in simple terms, it turns out that a fruit is the fruit of a tree or plant that contains the seeds necessary for subsequent distribution.
It is worth noting that when using the word “fruit”, scientists mean the juicy and edible pulp of the plant, which has a clearly defined shape in space.
What is a berry?
We figured out the fruits, now let's talk about berries.
A berry is a type of fruit that has a fleshy texture and contains many seeds inside. Among scientists, the definition of a berry sounds like "a kind of multi-seeded fruit."
It turns out that the main characteristic and the main difference between a berry and a fruit is the presence of seeds inside the fruit.
General and different
If, from a scientific point of view, all this has become more or less clear, from a practical point of view, the question is still not completely clear. How to distinguish between fruit and berries at home? In order to understand this issue, it is necessary to consider some important characteristics.
So, the primary role is played by the size and volume of the fetus. It is believed that a berry can be freely clasped with two fingers of one hand, and in order to clasp a fruit, it is necessary to bring the whole brush to work, or even both.
It is also worth noting the fact that the bulk of fruits are cultural (or garden) fruits, they are specially cultivated and bred by people in gardens and kitchen gardens, intended for further consumption. At the same time, most types of berries can be wild - for example, everyone knows the phrase "forest berries".
Interesting! Usually, the phrase "wild berries" means a mix of blackberries, black and red currants, as well as cranberries.
Another difference is that often the berries can be poisonous (e.g. wolfberries). That is why you should not eat or even taste fruits that are unfamiliar to you.
At the same time, fruits cannot be poisonous. This group includes exclusively edible and edible fruits.
It is important to pay attention to the presence of seeds inside the pulp of the fruit. If there are any, then you are eating a berry. In fruits, seeds are completely absent, but there is one large bone.
It is also necessary to take into account the fact that the bulk of fruits and berries have a sweet taste (bitter or sour notes may be present), however, do not forget about exceptions. For example, lemon is sour, while avocado has an almost neutral taste. However, these fruits should not be confused with vegetables.
Thus, knowing these features and facts, you can independently figure out whether you eat a fruit or a berry. At the same time, one should also take into account the fact that there are a large number of botanical nuances and scientific details that only a professional researcher can deal with.
You can learn more about the differences between berries and fruits by watching the following video.
Our nature is quite amazing and multifaceted. To penetrate deeper into her secret depths, you should familiarize yourself with interesting information about fruits and berries.
- It is believed by the people that it is quite simple to distinguish between fruit and berries. You need to know how and where this fruit grows. So, it is customary to think that fruits grow on trees, and small shrubs are the domain of berries. This is not entirely true. Indeed, according to this principle, cherries can be attributed to fruits, which is not true. This statement is most likely a folklore fiction, and not a scientifically substantiated fact.
- Botanical science calls strawberries and strawberries "false berries". The thing is that in the formation and development of these fruits, not the last value (except for the ovary) is the so-called receptacle. The fruits of these plants themselves can be called overgrown receptacles or even nuts.
- Botanists refer to fruits such as orange and lemon as berries, but avocado, by the way, is a fruit.
- In the CIS countries, among ordinary people, everyone's favorite tomato is considered a vegetable, domestic botanists call this fruit a berry, and scientists working in the United States of America call a tomato a fruit (this provision is enshrined at the state level). This is such a versatile fruit.
- Contrary to popular belief, melon and watermelon are berries, not fruits, although there are other views on this issue.
Thus, we were able to make sure that everything in botanical science is not as simple as it seems at first glance. So, many fruits that we consider fruits are considered berries (and vice versa).
In order to accurately determine the subspecies of the fetus, all special characteristics, as well as similar and different features, should be taken into account.
In everyday life, the ability to classify fruits into these groups will help you demonstrate your erudition and a broad outlook. In addition, this knowledge will be useful in order to be able to explain the botanical tricks of plants to your child.
In everyday life, each person uses fruits and vegetables for cooking, without thinking about whether there are any fundamental differences between them or not. Meanwhile, botanists have a well-defined position on what exactly refers to fruits and what to vegetables. Let's try and we understand this difficult issue.
Fruit are the fruits of plants that appear after the flowers fade and the ovary is formed. These fruits must necessarily have seeds, large or small, soft or hard - but they are always present in fruits. In addition, the shell around the seeds can be either hard (called the shell) or fleshy (called the pulp). Many people believe that fruits mainly grow only on trees and shrubs, but due to the features described above, the fruits of plants, which, out of habit, many consider vegetables, can also be classified as fruits. For example, botanists around the world are of the opinion that cucumbers, tomatoes, peas, pumpkins and strawberries belong to fruits.
vegetables called the individual parts of plants that are suitable for cooking. These can be various tubers, soft stems, leaves or inflorescences, that is, those parts of plants that are not associated with reproduction. Vegetables do not have a hard, tall stem because their life cycle is rather short. This is due to the fact that such plants are annuals, that is, they grow for only one year, and die with the advent of cold weather. In this regard, there is no need to have a hard stem and powerful leaves, since the main emphasis is on growing seeds that will be viable in the next year. But in this case, in most cases, people do not eat plant seeds, with the exception of, for example, dill or corn.
If a person believes that vegetables and fruits differ only in what plants (tree-like or herbaceous) they grow on, then this approach is not entirely correct. Biologists are of the opinion that it is necessary to separate these concepts on the basis of which part of the plant they belong to. In other words, fruits are ripened fruits that contain one or more plant seeds, while vegetables are any part of a plant suitable for food, whether it be a root, leaf, tuber or stem.
TheDifference.ru determined that the difference between fruits and vegetables is as follows:
Fruits are the fruits of a plant, while vegetables are any part of it;
Fruits necessarily contain seeds that are subsequently able to germinate and give life to a new plant, and vegetables are a part of a plant that is not capable of reproducing its own kind;
Fruits grow on plants that have both hard and soft stems, as for vegetables, they are part of plants that are only herbaceous.