Tomato is a fruit or vegetable: The classification of a tomato as a

The classification of a tomato as a fruit or a vegetable has been a long-standing debate among cooks, botanists, and everyday people. While many of us may think of tomatoes as a vegetable , the truth is that they are, in fact, a type of fruit. The tomato (US: / təˈmeɪtoʊ /, UK: / təˈmɑːtoʊ /; Solanum lycopersicum) is a plant whose fruit is an edible berry that is eaten as a vegetable . The tomato is a member of the nightshade family that includes tobacco, potato, and chili peppers. Tomatoes are fruits that are considered vegetables by nutritionists. Botanically, a fruit is a ripened flower ovary and contains seeds. Tomatoes, plums, zucchinis, and melons are all edible fruits, but things like maple “helicopters” and floating dandelion puffs are fruits too. Tomatoes contain seeds and grow from flowers, making them a fruit botanically. But in their culinary uses, tomatoes are considered vegetables.