Tag: Botanical fruit definition

In 1893, the U.S. Supreme Court famously ruled that a tomato should be taxed as a vegetable, not a fruit, based on its culinary use, not its botanical status. The long-standing confusion surrounding what classifies as a fruit arises from the stark differences between its scientific and everyday definitions. While your taste buds might point to sweetness, a biologist's perspective is rooted in a plant's reproductive anatomy.

According to botanists, virtually all cereal grains are technically fruits, a fact that surprises many home cooks. The distinction lies in a unique botanical classification, not a culinary one, which reveals that common staples like wheat, corn, and rice are fruits by scientific definition.