There are different ways of looking at what constitutues fruit and vegetables. We often think of these in culinary terms, i.e. the uses we make of them in cooking or as a raw food. However in botanical terms there are some cases where there are quite distinct differences. So, here’s a basic guide…
What is a fruit?
Fruits are quite simply the mature ovary or seed bearing part of a flowering plant. It is edible and often eaten raw.
- Apple
- Banana
- Beans
- Capsicum (pepper)
- Courgette
- Cucumber
- Grapes
- Grapefruit
- Kiwi
- Lemon
- Lime
- Mangetout
- Mango
- Melon
- Orange
- Pear
- Plum
- Pumpkin
- Raspberries
- Strawberry
- Sweetcorn
- Tomato
What is a vegetable?
Vegetables are the edible parts of a plant and can be the leaves, stem, roots, bulbs, tubers and flowers.
- Asparagus
- Beetroot
- Broccoli
- Brussel sprout
- Cabbage
- Carrot
- Cauliflower
- Celery
- Leek
- Lettuce
- Onion
- Parsnip
- Pineapple
- Potato
- Rhubarb
- Turnip
Mushrooms are neither fruit nor vegetable since it is not a flowring plant and does not have the same parts of a plant, instead it is classified as a fungi.
Which part of a plant do you eat? Click here for a SAPS resource.