The tomatoesas it is usually called tomatoIt is native to the low Andes, although it is known that during pre-Hispanic times it was cultivated by the Aztecs in Mexico, where the plant was domesticated. After the arrival of the Spaniards in our country, the tomato was extended to other parts of the world where It is used in the preparation of many dishes..
Currently we find it in any market and supermarket, always located in the vegetable areaalong with other products such as onions, lemons, lettuce, etc. It is regularly used to make salads and puree for various stews. In Mexico it is essential to make hot sauces or season soups, meats and even tortillas.
It is used as a pizza base, a real pizza cannot be called that without its tomato sauce base; it is used to make the famous ketchup with which hot dogs or hamburgers are seasoned; It is part of the Mediterranean diet and is also a must in Asian preparations. However, you can hardly imagine biting into a tomato as if it were an apple.
Even so, surely you have heard or read that most refer to the tomato as a fruit. If you have the doubt you know if he tomato is a fruit or vegetablein this little article we clarify the mysteryYou will see that it is much more interesting than it seems.
Is tomato fruit or vegetable?
As we already mentioned, the tomatoes we use it a lot to season dishes or as a fresh accompaniment to some stew, we also consume it in drinks and juices, but almost always in salty presentations. For this reason everyone we could swear that it is a vegetable.
However, the reality is very different. Tomato is actually a fruitsince these are described as the plants that contain in their inside one or more seedswhat could be considered a simile of the ovaries.
Unlike fruits, vegetables are other parts of the plant that we can and usually consume, for example, the stems, leaves or roots. This category includes, for example, celery, lettuce, spinach, etc.
Of course this is a definition from the botanical point of viewsince if you ask your mother or grandmother if it is a fruit or a vegetable, it is very likely that they will say that it is a vegetable, since that is how it has been considered for a long time from the culinary point of view, and it is not usually used to make sweets.
The term fruit or vegetable was created as a classification given by the botanical, and not gastronomic, characteristics of the plants. And now that you know, maybe your concept of fruits or fruits will change and you will see other foods with different eyes.