It's already clear that apples are man-made, but one thing remains confusing, is an apple a fruit or a vegetable?
Many of us see apples as fruits, in fact, that's what many nutrition blogs call them. But then, there are arguments that apples are vegetables.
There are two different types of people that have different ways of categorizing fruits and vegetables. These people are the culinarians and botanists. A culinarian typically considers anything sweet as fruits, whole the savory ones are vegetables.
That said, to a culinarian, green beans, peas, tomatoes, cucumbers, and peppers are vegetables, even though they are typically fruits in the real sense.
Is An Apple A Fruit or Vegetable?
From a botanist's point of view, fruits are seed-bearing structures, while vegetables are the other parts of a plant (asides from the fruits).
With that definition, to a botanist, vegetables include the flowers, leaves, stems, and roots of plants, while fruits are the seed-bearing parts that develop from the ovaries.
Now, judging from the botanists' point of view, it is safe to mention all seedy outgrowths like tomatoes, squash, and apples as fruits. Then, in contrast, potatoes, spinach, lettuce, kale, and broccoli will be considered vegetables.
However, according to chefs (culinarians), they do not agree that all fruits are fruits and all vegetables are vegetables. To them, foods with savory taste are vegetables and foods with sweet taste are fruits.
As we continue with the explanation, it is important to mention "false fruits." Yes, there are fruits that are considered "false fruits" because of the way they form from their parent plant's ovaries.
Apples and strawberries consist of other flower parts in addition to the ovary or ovaries, and thus, they are further classified, botanically, as "false fruits."
We've said much already and yet the main question seems unanswered. Well, let's put it in a clearer way; apples are fruits, botanically, and also, apples are sweet when we eat them; so, to a grocer, an apple is a fruit.
That is to say, from every point of view, botanically and culinary, an apple is a fruit and not a vegetable. To botanists, it is a fruit because it grows from the ovary of the apple tree, and to a chef, it is also a fruit because of its sweet taste.
If you care to research further about the actual classification of apples, that's when you'd get to know about "false fruits." Classifying foods into fruits and vegetables has always been quite confusing for most people.
However, if you can understand the botanist and culinary point of view, it'd be easy to tell if you're favorite food is actually a fruit or a vegetable.
Why Do Some People Mention Apples As Vegetables?
Honestly, apples do not possess any traits or qualities that could make them be considered vegetables.
Firstly, they don't have a savory taste, and they grow from the ovary-bearing seeds inside. These traits are only common with fruits. Below is the definition of vegetables.
According to Wikipedia:
Vegetables are the edible parts of plants consumed by humans and animals. Vegetables can include the following parts of a plant: fruits, flowers, leaves, stems, roots, and seeds.
Now, as you can see from that brief definition, Wikipedia states that "fruits" can also be vegetables, and this is where many people get confused.
Yes, some fruits are considered vegetables by grocers (chefs/culinarians); that's why they are included in wiki's definition of vegetables.
However, in this article, we have clearly explained that apples are considered fruits, irrespective of any aspect of classification you decide to use.
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Conclusion
Is an apple a fruit or vegetable? Apples are fruits from all possible and recognized perspectives. They have a sweet taste and form from ovaries, and that makes them fruits from a botanical and culinary point of view.
However, you should know that apples are man-made fruits, created many years ago through hybridization (selective breeding). They are one of the most consumed fruits, and they are the favorite of many people.
Apples are mostly eaten raw and can be added to many diets. The fruits also have many health benefits, and even though it is man-made, apples are the best fruits for many of us.
