Sunnyism: The truth about tomatoes

Sunny Montgomery
Sunny Montgomery

My entire life, I have been forced to accept the tomato as a fruit.

But I have always had my doubts. Admit it; you have, too. How can this nightshade be a fruit? It belongs in a bowl with lettuce, cucumbers and carrots - not a cobbler.

Recently, I learned something shocking about the tomato: Technically, it is both vegetable and fruit.

Scientifically speaking, the tomato is a fruit, which, according to a Live Science article, is defined as "a seed-bearing structure that develops from the ovary of a flowering plant, whereas vegetables are all other plant parts, such as roots, leaves and stems."

However, legally speaking, the tomato is a vegetable.

In 1893, the Supreme Court was forced to make a decision on the matter after a dispute between a fruit importer and the Port Authority of New York.

The Port Authority said tomatoes were vegetables, subject to a 10 percent import tax. The importer argued they were fruits, subject to no tax. Ultimately, the court decided they were, indeed, vegetables.

I knew it!

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