Fruits and vegetables: so different and so… the same

We eat them with great frequency and pleasure, but very few people know their differences. The truth is that often fruits and vegetables that are fairly well known and generally accepted are very difficult to classify, such as tomatoes, olives and avocados. Indeed, where would you classify them – fruits or vegetables?

The Fruit and Vegetable War began many years ago and came to court in 1893 in the case of Nix v. Hedden. In 1893, US Supreme Court justices were asked to decide whether tomatoes are a fruit or a vegetable subject to the appropriate tax.
Although the court accepted that the tomato is botanically a fruit, it ruled that imported tomatoes should be taxed as vegetables, based on the “ordinary” definition of fruits and vegetables used in the kitchen.
The truth is that some foods, although botanically classified as fruits, From a culinary point of view, they are considered vegetables.

Which foods are fruits and which are vegetables

In botanical terms, a fruit is the seed structure that grows from the ovary of a plant’s flowers, while vegetables are all the other parts of the plant, such as the roots, leaves, and stems.

According to this standard, apples, zucchini and tomatoes are fruits. Whereas vegetables are:

• root vegetables – beets, potatoes and turnips,
• leafy – spinach, cabbage and salad greens,
• stems – celery and broccoli.

However, many products that are vegetable fruits such as eggplants, peppers and tomatoes are considered vegetables by chefs. The reason is mainly due to their taste, as these fruits are not sweet.

Fruits and vegetables in season
To enjoy fruits and vegetables, we need to eat them when they are in season. This is how they offer us all their nutrients and their rich taste.

Spring
If you love asparagus, spring is the time to enjoy it to the fullest. Artichokes, avocado, dill, endive, peas, carrots, cauliflower, cabbage, Brussels sprouts, parsley, lettuce, broccoli, beets, leeks, radishes, celery, spinach, fennel, beets – you’ll find everything in abundance to create delicious recipes. Don’t forget that May is the month of healthy strawberries.

Summer
In summer we find the most fruits and the most flavorful vegetables. Pear, apricot, cherry, sweet cherry, watermelon, medlar, melon, peach, strawberry, fig,
cucumber, avocado, peas, green beans, pumpkin, okra, onions, eggplant, parsley, tomatoes, peppers, potatoes, radishes, garlic, spinach, green beans, eggplant, corn are just a few of the long list of summer vegetables and fruits.

Autumn
From September to November, although there are still plenty of summer fruits and vegetables, be sure to try grapes, newly emerging walnuts and pistachios. Ripe pears, kiwi, quince, persimmon, apple, pomegranate, tender green beans, and lemons are pleasing to the eye and stomach.

Winter
With the first cold days of December, fruits and vegetables appear, from which (and with the use of which) the festive table for Christmas and New Year will be set. Endive, avocado, dill, carrots, cauliflower and white cabbage, Brussels sprouts, lettuce, parsley, broccoli, beets, potatoes, leeks, radishes, celery, spinach, fennel, grapefruit, lemons, apples, tangerines, oranges, almonds, chestnuts, dried figs, raisins, hazelnuts are the most famous winter fruits and vegetables.

Source link