Fruits and vegetables are the most essential part of our daily food. These two natural products provide proteins, vitamins and some other most important ingredients of our body. Is there any special definition which can differentiate between the fruits and vegetables. In 1893 United States Supreme Court tried to clarify the difference between a fruit and a vegetable by saying that vegetable are eaten as part of the main course of a meal, but fruit is eaten as an appetizer or dessert, or for a snack.

Fruit Or Vegetable

But, as with so many words, there is one definition which is correct according to the dictionary and another one which people use in everyday life. Sweet corn, for instance, is eaten as an appetizer, but most people would consider it a vegetable. Similarly, fruits and vegetables are differentiated on the basis of taste, sweet or savory.
In botany, a fruit is the ripened ovary of a plant. (The ovary is the part of the plant where the seeds are kept). So, strictly speaking, an acorn is as much a fruit as an apple. But, if you went into a store and asked for fruit, the store owner would not offer you acorns. When we talk about fruit in everyday life, we mean the juicy fruits like apples, grapes, oranges and melons.
A “Vegetable” has even more meanings than a “fruit”. The word covers any kind of plant life, even including trees. But, again, in everyday life vegetables mean food like lettuce, cabbage and sprouts. This type of food is differentiated from fruits on the basis of its savory taste.

April 28, 2010 | Mohsin Ali | No Comments | 457 views