Tomate Obst oder Gemüse -- das ist die Antwort

Is the tomato a fruit or vegetable? In the supermarket, we find the tomato in the vegetable section. But is it really there? Let's take a look at that. Are you looking for a suitable training? Then come to studyflix.de and find tens of thousands of open training sites. Tomato? Of course, vegetables. That's probably what most people would answer if they were asked on the street. But is the answer really that simple? Unfortunately, it is not as clear as the classification of tomatoes at first glance. Because actually, the tomato is both fruit and vegetable. But why is that? In fact, there are several criteria according to which foods are classified as fruit or vegetable. Gardeners always classify plants according to their external characteristics, i.e. according to the botanical criteria. In the kitchen, however, the botanical criteria are less of an interest. And it is more about the taste and type of preparation. These are the culinary criteria. Gardeners especially have two questions when dividing fruit and vegetables. How old can the plant be and which parts of it do you eat? If the plant is older than two years old, i.e. a multi-year-old plant, then it is probably a fruit plant. These can be trees or shrubs that live for several years or decades. Every year the plants get flowers, from which fruits form after pollination. We eat the fruits as fruit. For example, apples, plums or oranges are one of them. If, on the other hand, the plant dies after one or two years and has to be sown again every year, then the gardener has a vegetable plant in front of him. In addition, other plant parts such as stems, roots or leaves are harvested and eaten here. This is the case with carrots, celery or spinach, for example. But what does the tomato belong to? Tomatoes form as fruits from the pollinated flower of the plant. Accordingly, they should actually belong to the fruit. However, the age of tomato plants speaks against this, because they are one-year-old and have to be re-sown every year. Thus, according to botanical criteria, tomatoes have properties of both fruit and vegetables. Perhaps the culinary criteria can provide clarity. In the kitchen, it is not so important how old a plant is or which parts are eaten by it. Here, the taste and type of preparation play a role above all. Fruit usually tastes sweet, so it is often used for desserts, such as cake or jam. But we also like to eat fruit raw. Vegetables, on the other hand, are more suitable for salty dishes and are usually cooked. In addition, it tastes rather watery and less sweet. And which criterion now applies to tomatoes? Of course, smaller tomatoes can also taste sweet, but they are by far not as sweet as a raspberry or an apple. And even if tomatoes are pretty tasty raw, most people would probably agree that they are more suitable for salty dishes than for cake. According to the culinary classification, tomatoes are clearly vegetables. But which classification is the right one? Each of the two definitions has its own purpose. For a gardener or a botanist, the botanical classification is interesting. It helps to distinguish different species from each other and to facilitate the cultivation and harvesting of tomatoes. In the kitchen and for the general public, however, the culinary classification is more suitable. It indicates the type of preparation and the nutrient composition of the plant. Due to the botanical and culinary contradictions, there is the term fruit vegetable for foods such as tomatoes. This term includes all plants that are made from a pollinated flower and still belong to the vegetable. In addition to tomatoes, other plants also count, such as cucumber, paprika, eggplant, zucchini, pumpkin and peas. But regardless of whether fruit or vegetables, it is clear that tomatoes are healthy. They provide us with important vitamins, minerals and fiber. That is why they are also included in the daily five portions of fruit and vegetables that are recommended by the German Society for Nutrition. In addition to tomatoes, there are many other foods that are difficult to classify. Did you know, for example, that the strawberry is actually not a berry at all? Much more belongs to the collected nut fruits. We explain to you what this means in our video. Did you like the video? Then come to studyflix.de and find the job that suits you.