A tomato is the fruit of a tomato plant from the family of Solanaceae. The plant can be annual or perennial, it grows in both the northern and southern regions. Tomatoes are grown in greenhouses, in the open field, on balconies and even on the windowsill. There are many varieties of tomatoes, because tomatoes are very common and are used in the culinary, cosmetic and medicine industries.
- A bit of history
- Tomato: is it a berry vegetable or fruit?
- Why tomatoes are considered a berry
- Tomato - Vegetable
- Why are tomatoes called fruit
- To summarize: berry, vegetable or fruit?
A bit of history
Homeland of tomatoes called South America. They still meet wild and semi-cultural forms of the plant. In the 16th century, the tomato was introduced to Spain, Portugal, Italy, France and other European countries.
In Europe, tomatoes are bred as an exotic plant. The first culinary dish using tomatoes was mentioned in Spanish recipes.
Other sources claim that the homeland of tomatoes is Peru, However, this fact is no longer known due to the lost knowledge. There is also a version about the origin of tomatoes (both the plant itself and the word) from Mexico, where the plant grew wild and its fruits were less than modern tomatoes we know. Later, by the 16th century, tomatoes in Mexico began to be introduced into the crop.
In the XVIII century, the tomato was brought to Russia (through Turkey and Romania). For the first time he proved that such a plant as a tomato can be eaten, by an agronomist A.T. Bolotov. For a long time the tomato was considered an ornamental plant with poisonous fruits. Planting already tomato vegetable culture appeared in the Crimea. Among the names were such as "red eggplant", "love apple", and even - "wolfberry".
In the summer of 1780, Empress Catherine II tried for the first time what kind of fruit the tomato had. They became a tomato, brought from Rome as a fruit. At the same time, in remote areas of the empire, this fruit has long been known, it was grown in the south of Russia, in Astrakhan, Georgia, Tavrida, and was eaten as a vegetable. In the northern part of Russia, the “love apple” served as an ornamental plant with beautiful bright fruits.
Tomato: is it a berry vegetable or fruit?
Tomatoes are a fairly widespread plant, therefore, in different countries and cultures there were often questions about vegetable, fruit or berry whether its fruits are tomatoes.
Why tomatoes are considered a berry
Let's try to find out if a tomato is a berry or a vegetable.
A berry is a fruit of a herbaceous or shrubby plant, with juicy flesh and seeds inside. The tomato fully meets this definition, being the fruit of a herbaceous plant with a thin skin, juicy pulp and a large number of seeds inside.
- Berry (they include tomato, blueberry, blueberry, currant, gooseberry)
- Apple (these are apples, pears, mountain ash)
- Pomeranets (citrus fruits - orange, mandarin)
- Granatina (this is pomegranate fruit)
- Pumpkin (this type includes watermelon, melon, zucchini, pumpkin)
In addition, the berries are divided into real and false. A distinctive feature of this berry from the point of view of botany is the finding of seeds inside the pericarp. It is worth noting that the tomato corresponds to this feature. So, you can positively answer the question whether a tomato is a berry.Tomato - Vegetable
Technological systematics explains that by the method of cultivation, similar to other vegetables, a tomato is a vegetable. This is an annual crop, and the crop of tomatoes is harvested as a result of processing and loosening the soil, which takes a short time.
All this allows you to call a tomato just a vegetable.
Why are tomatoes called fruit
Because of the shape, color, juiciness of the tomato, questions arise whether it is a fruit or a vegetable.
The definition of "fruit" describes it as a hard or soft part of a plant in the form of a fruit with seeds. Fruit is formed as a result of pollination of a flower from the ovary. Vegetable is an overgrown grassy or root system of a plant. From this it follows that all the fruits of plants with seeds can be called fruits, which is why a tomato is often called a fruit.
There is also a scientific description, according to which the fruit is the edible reproductive part of a plant with seeds that develops from the ovary of a flower. However, in cooking, tomatoes are used as vegetables. Therefore, it is so difficult to find out who the tomato is a vegetable or not.
To summarize: berry, vegetable or fruit?
For a long time, people could not figure out how to call a tomato: is it a berry, a fruit or a vegetable? The main reason for these disagreements is that there is a scientific and culinary approach to the definition of different types of fruits and parts of a plant. In terms of botany, Tomato is a berry, fruit of tomato, formed as a result of pollination of a flower. In cooking, and just in everyday life a tomato is called a vegetable, implying at the same time cooking basic and snack dishes from it. According to the method of cultivation, the tomato plant is also referred to as vegetable crops.
In English, there is no distinction between the concepts of "fruit" and "fruit". Therefore, it was believed that Tomato is a fruit. However, in 1893, the US Supreme Court ruled that A tomato is a vegetable. The reason for this was the customs duties that apply only to vegetables, but the fruit could be transported free of charge. In 2001, a similar question arose again in Europe, and now the tomato was recognized not as a vegetable, but again as a fruit.
Our language and customs system does not provide us with the problems of determining whether a tomato belongs to vegetables, fruits or berries. Therefore, guided by scientific and cultural concepts and knowledge about tomato and its fruits, we can safely say that Tomato is a berry, which is used as a vegetable.
The use of tomatoes in food, as well as in the cosmetic industry, and even in medicine, due to the richness of its internal content. Tomato contains:
- 94% water
- 4% carbohydrate
- 1% protein
- fiber
- fat
- vitamins A, C, K, B-B1, E, PP, etc.
- organic acids.
Tomato is one of the most popular cultures in the modern world. The reason for this is the presence of its fruits - tomatoes, wonderful taste, nutrition, dietary and even decorative properties.
