Tag: Squash fruit

In 1893, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that a tomato should be classified as a vegetable for tax purposes, forever blurring the line between culinary and botanical definitions. This ruling cemented the tomato's status as a culinary vegetable, despite its scientific classification, making it the most famous example of a fruit considered a vegetable.

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.