How are fruits different from vegetables? How to distinguish vegetables from fruits for children

Botanical definition berries: a fleshy fruit that develops from a single ovary. Grapes are a good example. The berry is the most common type of fleshy fruit, in which the ovary transforms into an edible pericarp as it matures. The berry may have one or more thinly coated carpels with a fleshy interior. The seeds are usually embedded in the flesh of the ovary (there are some exceptions, such as peppers). The plant that produces the berries is called berry-bearing or berry(fruits that look like berries but aren't actually berries can also sometimes be called "berries").

In everyday life, any small berry fruit is called a "berry". These "berries" are typically juicy, round or semi-oblong, brightly colored, sweet or sour, and seedless, although seeds may be present.

A large number of berries, such as tomatoes, are edible, while others from the same plant family, such as belladonna fruit ( Atropabelladonna) and potato fruits ( Solanumtuberosum) are poisonous to humans. Some berries, such as red peppers ( Capsicum), around the seeds is not pulp, but free space.

botanical berries

In botanical terms, a berry is a fruit in which the seeds and fruit pulp develop from the same ovary. The ovary may be inferior or superior.

Examples of botanical berries include:

• Avocado ( perseaAmericana), a single-seeded berry
• Barberry ( Berberis; Berberidaceae)
• Bearberry ( Arctostaphylos spp.)
• Bilberry (blueberry)
• coffee berries
• Crowberry ( Empetrum spp.)
• Currant ( Ribs spp; Grossulariaceae), red, black and white
• Elderberry ( SambucusNigeria; Caprifoliaceae)
• gooseberry ( Ribsspp; Grossulariaceae)
• Indian gooseberry (Phyllanthus Emblica)
• Grape , ( Vitis vinifera)
• Honeysuckle: The berries of some species are edible, while others are poisonous ( Lonicera spp; Caprifoliaceae)
• Cowberry ( VacciniumVitis- idaea)
• Canadian pride or viburnum Lentago ( Viburnum spp; Caprifoliaceae)
• Oregon Grapes ( Mahoniaaquifolium; Berberidaceae)
• strawberry tree ( Arbutusunedo), not to be confused with the common strawberry (strawberry)
• Tomatoes and other species of the nightshade family
• Boxthorn

Altered Berries

Citrus fruits such as orange, kumquat and lemon are berries with thick skin, very juicy inside, they have a special name - " orange».

Berries that develop from the lower ovary are sometimes called epigon mi or false berries, while true berries develop from the upper ovary. A feature of epigone berries is that tissues taken from parts of the flower and located behind the body of the ovary are included in the structure of the berry. The flower tube, formed from the basal part of the sepals, petals and stamens, becomes fleshy as it matures and connects to the body of the ovary, forming fruits. Common fruits sometimes classified as epigone berries include bananas, coffee, members of the genus Vaccinium(e.g. cranberries and blueberries) and members of the Cucurbitaceae family (e.g. cucumbers, melons and gourds).

Another specialized term is used for fruits from the genus Cucurbitaceae, which have a hard outer rind. They are called " pumpkins» ( Pepos). While gourds are the most common plants in the gourd family, the fruits passionflower And papaya sometimes also referred to by the term "Pumpkin".

Non botanical berries

Many fruits that are commonly referred to as berries are not actually berries according to the scientific classification, but fall into one of the following categories:

TOostochkovye

Stone fruits are fleshy fruits with a hard layer surrounding the seed, formed from a (usually) single seed ovary.

• Bird cherry ( Celtis spp; cannabaceae)
• Pennsylvania cere

Other stone-like, single-seeded fruits that do not have a stony endocarp include:

• sea ​​buckthorn ( HippophaeRhamnoides; Eleagnaceae). The achene is surrounded by hypanthium, which forms a fleshy layer.

pome fruits

The pome fruits produced by plants in the Rosaceae family, such as apples and pears, have a structure (core) that clearly separates the seeds from the tissue of the ovary. However, some small pome fruits are sometimes called berries, such as the bright red hawthorn from the genus Crataegus, or blueberry-like fruits of irgi.

Composite fruits (Infructescence)

Combined fruits contain seeds from different ovaries of the same flower. Examples are blackberries and raspberries.

complex fruits

Complex fruits consist of several flowers that merge with each other or are closely spaced. The mulberry is a berry-like example of a complex fruit. It develops from a cluster of tiny individual flowers that shrink as the fruit develops.

false fruits

In false fruits, the edible part is not formed from the ovary. Berry-like examples:

• Strawberries - the “fruit” is actually a set of seed-like achenes obtained from a set of ovaries, and the fleshy part develops from a receptacle (false inflorescence)
• sea ​​grapes ( Coccolobauvifera; Polygonaceae) - the fruit is in a dry capsule surrounded by a fleshy calyx
• Wintergreen ( Gaultheriaprocumbens) - the fruit is in a dry capsule surrounded by a fleshy calyx

Color and Potential Health Benefits

Since the berries have a good contrast with their surroundings, they are more attractive to the animals that eat them, thus aiding in the dispersal of plant seeds.

Berries have color due to the presence of natural pigments in plants, many of which are polyphenols such as flavonoids, anthocyanins, tannins. Pigments are mainly localized in the skin and seeds of berries. Berry pigments are usually antioxidants and have the highest oxygen radical adsorption capacity (ORAC) of any plant product. Considering the good nutritional content and ORAC, some types of berries have been separated into a new functional food category called "superfruits".

However, to date, no physiological evidence has been found that the polyphenols found in berries have antioxidant effects within the human body, so the claim that polyphenols have antioxidant health benefits, often seen on food labels in the US and Europe, is invalid.

It seems that we all know which fruits are fruits or berries, but not everything is so simple.
We have been hearing for a long time that watermelon and tomato are berries, but it still surprises us. They also say that carrots are fruits...
Let's see what's different fruit from berries And vegetables.

Fruit- this edible fruit of any tree or shrub.
The function of the fruit is seed conservation, which contribute to the spread of flowering plants, i.e. Seeds are a way for plants to propagate. Then, eggplants, cucumbers, corn and peas are fruits!?

Vegetables are the edible part of the plant. These can be leaves (lettuce), stems (celery), roots (carrots), bulbs (onions), and even flowers (broccoli).
Market in Barcelona

It is believed that fruit should be sweet, which means that all unsweetened fruits should be classified as vegetables. But, after all, even an ordinary tomato, which many consider a vegetable, is actually a fruit, a berry! Even pumpkins and zucchini, from a formal point of view, belong to fruits.

Conclusions:
1) According to dictionary definitions, fruit- these are the edible fruits of a tree or shrub that serve to propagate plants, in contrast to vegetables, which are the edible part of the plant.
2) The basis of the general judgment that tomatoes, cucumbers, etc. are vegetables is that they are herbaceous plants, not trees.
3) To determine the type of fetus you need to follow a simple rule:
if the fruit has seeds, then you have a fruit, and if not, then a vegetable.


……………………

A little more about the fruits and their types

FETUS(Latin fructus, Greek καρπός) - the final stage of flower development, the generative organ of angiosperms, which serves to form, protect and distribute the seeds enclosed in it.
The science that studies fruits is called carpology.

Fruit classification
simple fruits divided according to the consistency of the pericarp into dry and juicy.
I. Dry fruits
bean(family Legumes); nut, nut (hazel, hazelnut); weevil(cereals); acorn(oak);
achene(sunflower) and others.

II. Juicy fruits- with juicy pericarp

1. Berry - multi-seeded:
Berry(fruit of blueberries, currants, tomatoes, grapes);
berries called fruits with a thin shell, juicy middle, usually with several dense seeds inside.

An Apple- (lat. pomum) - a juicy multi-seeded fruit (apple, pear, hawthorn, mountain ash). Not only the ovary takes part in its formation.

pumpkin- a multi-seeded fruit of plants, characteristic of representatives of the Pumpkin family (for pumpkin, watermelon, melon, zucchini, cucumber). The fruit is morphologically related to the berry, but differs from it in the greater number of seeds and the structure of the pericarp.

Hesperidius, or orange(citrus fruit);

grenade(fruit of pomegranate).

2. Kostyankovidnye:

Juicy drupe(cherries, plums, peaches);
3.Prefabricated fruits, or complex fruits, or apocarps.

An example of prefabricated fruits: hard nut, or a multi-nut ( rose hip), compound achene (Strawberry, strawberry) compound drupe (raspberries).


In everyday life they call it a berry any small pulpy fruit (regardless of its botanical classification), such as currant, gooseberry (berry), strawberry, wild strawberry, wild rose (false berry), cherry, sweet cherry, raspberry (drupe).


Raspberries- this is a prefabricated drupe, that is, a lot of fruits growing together, each of which is arranged in the same way as the fruits of a plum or apricot.
strawberries- this is a combined achene, i.e. a lot of fruits arranged in the same way as sunflower fruits; what is called in everyday life strawberry, from the point of view of biology is a juicy overgrown receptacle.


At the same time, fruits of large size in everyday life are not associated with berries (even if from a botanical point of view they are), for example, tomato, eggplant, banana, kiwi.
……………
On the farm, edible plants are divided into fruits, berries, vegetables, nuts, grains.

Fruits and berries
« The fruit"- the term is not botanical, but household and economic.
The fruit(lat. fructus - fruit) - juicy edible fruit a tree or shrub that contains one or more plant seeds.
Berry also a juicy fruit. .


In some languages, the concept the fruit” is not distinguished from the concept of “fetus”.
In the Old Russian language, the words " the fruit"did not exist, it appeared only in 1705, before any fruits were called vegetables (vegetables).
The word “fruit” came to us from the German language: Frucht (from the Latin fructus - fruit), as in the old days they called “tree fruits”, for example, apples and pears.

Vegetables(the word exists only in “domestic” use) is any part of a plant suitable for food: a root crop, leaf, fruit, tuber, bulb or stem. Some sources may refer to vegetable plants and certain types of mushrooms, such as champignons.

vegetable plants there are more than 1200 species.

Fruits and berries commonly used as food dessert, but vegetables intended for other dishes.
Everything seems to be clear: fruits grow on trees, and vegetables grow on beds. But according to the scientific definition, peppers, and beans, and tomatoes, cucumbers, and zucchini can also be considered fruits.

And the explanation for all this confusion is: just to demarcate scientific definitions of fruits and vegetables household, culinary. For example, from the chef's point of view, a tomato- no doubt a vegetable. But the botanist will not agree with this statement. By the way, Italians consider tomatoes to be fruits: pomo d "oro is translated from Italian as "golden apple".
………………..
In ordinary Russian no one will call the fruits of a pear or mountain ash apples: the fruits of a pear and apple trees are fruits, and the fruits of mountain ash are berries. Berries are also called "combined fruits" of raspberries and strawberries.
Conversely, tomatoes or cucumbers and oranges are not called berries in everyday speech: tomatoes and cucumbers are vegetables, and oranges are fruits.

The distinction between fruits and berries in the "naive", everyday classification is based on several features.
The fruit differs from the berry mainly in size, in the process of eating, they do not put it entirely in the mouth and do not take it with two fingers. When a man eats a fruit, he takes a bite of it; when he eats berries, he puts the whole berry in his mouth. In addition, in the "naive" mind, the idea is alive that fruits grow on trees, and berries - on bushes or herbaceous plants.


In everyday language there is ambiguity: the same word denotes both the plant itself and the part of this plant used by humans, this applies to vegetables, fruits, and berries. Most explanatory dictionaries indicate the meaning of ‘plant’ as the first meaning, and ‘part of this plant’ as the second meaning.

Berry- is a variety fetus and this scientific term, like fetus. While vegetables and fruits- this not biological, but domestic terms.
…………..
There is another unexpected side of the issue.
interesting to note the fact that in 1893 the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that tomatoes should be considered vegetables for customs purposes. Although the judge acknowledged that botanically, tomatoes, as well as cucumbers, pumpkins, peas and beans are fruits, but in everyday life they are consumed as vegetables (they are eaten for lunch with main courses, and not for dessert, like fruits).
But in 2001 (or in 1991) European Union decided that tomatoes, as well as cucumbers, pumpkins, melons and watermelons, belong to fruits. And carrots!

Carrot Is it a fruit or a vegetable?
Since childhood, we have known that carrots are vegetables. However, back in 1991, the European Union adopted a special resolution, according to which carrots became ... fruit!


The "guilty" of this change was the Portuguese. They are very fond of carrot jam, which they eat themselves and export throughout Europe.
And according to European laws, jams and jams can only be cooked from fruits.
But change the law European Union in terms of lifting the ban on the production and sale vegetable jams It turned out to be more difficult than changing the worldview of people. So the root crop began to be called not only a vegetable.
Even more paradoxical "gifts of nature" fell under the directive of the EU Council in 2001. They began to call fruits also - pumpkin, watermelon, sweet potato, cucumber, melon, tomato and even ginger.

This allows the Portuguese to continue making and exporting carrot jam, because, according to European standards, jam is made only from fruits.

Denoting carrot like a fruit, the countries of the world that are part of European Union, (founded in 1952), can legally produce and export jam, marmalade from it. According to this provision, tomatoes, edible parts of rhubarb stem, carrots, sweet potatoes, cucumbers, pumpkin, melon, watermelon, ginger are also fruits!

Vegetable jam?!
Fruit preserves, jams and marmalades are equal to jams, jams and marmalades made from products such as: Tomatoes, carrots, sweet potatoes, cucumbers, watermelons, pumpkins…

Well, now everything seems to be clear.
…………….
In conclusion, a couple of funny fruit and vegetable pictures
J. Arcimboldo Portrait of Emperor Rudolf II

This is a portrait of the emperor, in the form of the ancient Roman god of the seasons Vertumna. The portrait consists of fruits, flowers and vegetables. Each fruit has its own qualities, and all together, like different character traits, they add up to an image.
……………

Pumpkin is a fruit or a vegetable? How do you think? You might think of it as a vegetable, but it's actually a fruit. There are many more fruits that are mistaken for vegetables. Here is a list of the most popular ones.

What is the difference between a fruit and a vegetable?

Definitions play an important role in answering this question. For example, in the article about the first place was the cucumber, which seems to be a vegetable. But botanically, it's a fruit.

The fruit develops from the flower of the plant and contains seeds. And vegetables are any other edible parts of plants, such as leaves, stems, or roots.

So, below you will see a list of ten fruits that are mistakenly considered vegetables.

10 fruits that are mistaken for vegetables:

string beans

String or green beans have been cultivated for over 7,000 years. Despite such long history beans, many people think that this is a vegetable. But from a botanical point of view, a bean is a fruit.

There are more than 130 different types of green beans in the world. It is grown in different parts of the world. The color of the pods can vary from green to red.

She has many names - okra, okra, ladies' fingers. It doesn't taste as sweet as most fruits, but it is a fruit. It is grown all over the world and is widely used in Indian and Caribbean cuisines. Okra can be eaten raw or boiled or fried.

Olives

In cooking, olives are used as vegetables. But from a scientific point of view, fruits containing seeds are fruits. Unlike most fruits, olives have salty taste. Originally from the Mediterranean, olive trees now grow in many other countries with warmer climates. Raw olives are very bitter, so they are kept in brine for several months before consumption.

Eggplant

Eggplants are grown in countries with a temperate climate. In total, there are about 770 types of eggplant, which vary in size and color. Contrary to popular belief, eggplants are also fruits, as their white flesh contains seeds. Eggplants can be purple, green or lavender in color. Raw eggplant is very bitter in taste.

Do they have any resemblance to fruits? Outwardly, it is difficult to find, but from the point of view of biology, this is again a fruit. They taste slightly sweet, not spicy. Flavor shades change depending on the color, which can be red, yellow, orange or green. Red pepper is the sweetest, green pepper is slightly bitter.

Peas

Peas began to grow thousands of years ago, and since then he fell in love with people. It grows in long pods, which are technically fruits. Peas grow well in temperate, cool climates. Fresh peas are sweet, but lose their sweetness within a few hours after harvest.

Cucumbers grown everywhere belong to the gourd family. In addition to eating, they have many useful cosmetic properties. Cucumber juice is very good for the skin, evens out the complexion, protects against sun exposure, soothes the skin after sunburn, and is also useful for brittle and damaged hair.

However, most do not realize that cucumber is not a vegetable, as it contains seeds. Cucumbers can be eaten raw and are 96% water.

Pumpkin

Pumpkins, which are quite large in size, occupy a special place in cooking. It's hard to forget the taste of childhood pumpkin pie and Halloween pumpkin monsters. A spherical pumpkin with thick walls contains inside the seed and pulp, which means, from the point of view of science, it is a fruit. Pumpkins are not only delicious, but also very healthy.

Avocado tastes good and is widely used in the dishes of some countries, so it can be confused with a vegetable. But in reality it is a fruit, since it contains one more seed, surrounded by pulp. Avocado has been known since 8000 BC. This is one of the rare plants that contains heart-healthy monounsaturated fats.

A tomato

There is a lot of debate about where to put the tomato. Is it a fruit or is it a vegetable? In cooking, it is used in salads and many other dishes. Plus, it's unsweetened. But from a biological point of view, a tomato is a fruit because it contains seeds. There are over 10,000 types of tomatoes in the world. They can be red, orange, yellow and purple in color.

We all use vegetables every day for cooking, eat fruits, but very rarely think about the difference between fruits and vegetables.

What is the difference between fruits and vegetables

"Fruit" is usually called any fruit, consisting of pulp and seeds, and formed from the ovary of a flower.

Vegetables are the edible part of the plant. They can be made up of leaves (lettuce), stems (celery), roots (carrots), bulbs (onions), and even flowers (broccoli).

And if it’s simple, then from the point of view of botany, a fruit, what with seeds (pits), and a vegetable without.

The difference between fruits and vegetables

• Fruits are the fruits of a plant, while vegetables are any part of it;
• Fruits necessarily contain seeds that are subsequently able to germinate and give life to a new plant, and vegetables are a part of a plant that is not capable of reproducing its own kind;
• Fruits grow on plants that have both hard and soft stems, as for vegetables, they are part of plants that are only herbaceous.

Fruits are divided into three main classes:

- fleshy fruits with seeds, such as oranges, melons, berries and apples;

- stone fruits such as cherries, plums, peaches;

- dry fruits such as nuts, cereals, beans and peas.

If it surprises you that botanists consider beans and peas to be fruits (because they contain seeds), then you will be even more surprised to learn that cucumbers and squash are also called fruits. It depends on how seriously we want to take this field of knowledge. In addition, in different parts of the world there are different traditions: the same edible part of the plant is considered a fruit in one place and a vegetable in another.

Just like in animals, there are families in the plant world. Did you know that cabbages, turnips, radishes, asparagus, and cauliflower, for example, all belong to the same family of vegetables?

Lettuce, chicory, and artichoke belong to a different family of vegetables. The gourd family includes cucumbers, melons, and pumpkins. The legume family includes peas, all types of beans, peanuts and soybeans.