Daily Dish the Sonoma Market blog
What’s in a Name?
The Wild World of Botanical Classifications
Would a berry by any other name taste as sweet? Not when it’s actually an eggplant! Read on to learn more about the wild world of botanical classifications.
Would a berry by any other name taste as sweet? Not when it’s actually an eggplant! We may not think much about what constitutes a true nut, fruit or berry, but many of these common ingredients have surprising alter egos in the science world. For example, strawberries, blackberries and raspberries aren’t berries at all, and scientifically speaking, peanuts and almonds aren’t even nuts! Read on to learn more about the wild world of botanical classifications…
FRUIT: The part of the plant containing seeds, developed from the flower.
Examples: Tomatoes, avocados, grapes, lemons, pineapples, bananas, apples, strawberries
VEGETABLE: Parts of a plant without seeds, developed from roots, bulbs, stems or leaves.
Examples: Onions, lettuce, sweet potatoes, carrots, Brussels sprouts
BERRY: A fleshy fruit with multiple seeds (usually), developed from a single ovary of a single flower.
Examples: Eggplants, peppers, tomatoes, avocados (single seed), bananas, blueberries, cranberries
(Fun fact: strawberries, blackberries and raspberries don’t make the cut, because they’re aggregate fruits, formed from multiple ovaries; the “seeds” of a strawberry are actually the fruits!)
DRUPE: A stone fruit with a single seed contained in a hard shell (pit) surrounded by fleshy fruit.
Examples: Almonds, pistachios, pecans (we eat the seed inside the pit); peaches, olives, cherries (we eat around the seed and pit); coffee beans (we roast the seed!)
NUT: A dry fruit with high oil content and a single edible seed surrounded by a hard shell.
Examples: Acorns, hazelnuts, chestnuts
SEED: The reproductive part of a plant, containing what’s needed to develop another plant.
Examples: Pine nuts, sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds, quinoa, wild rice
GRAIN: The edible seed or fruit of cereal grasses.
Examples: wheat, rice, corn, oats, barley
LEGUME: The seed or pod of plants in the pea family which have multiple edible seeds in pods.
Examples: Peanuts, chickpeas, lentils, soybeans, peas, tamarind, pinto beans
So, whether you call salsa a fruit salad or coffee a broth, one thing remains the same—they all still taste delicious!