Yes, a tomato is a fruit. This is based on its botanical definition: it develops from the flower's ovary and contains seeds. While commonly used in savory dishes like vegetables, its botanical classification remains firmly as a fruit.
Botanical vs. Culinary Classification
The confusion arises from the dual classification of tomatoes.
-
Botanical Classification: Botanically, a fruit is the mature ovary of a flowering plant, containing seeds. Tomatoes fit this definition perfectly. Sources like Britannica https://www.britannica.com/story/is-a-tomato-a-fruit-or-a-vegetable and NatureSweet https://naturesweet.com/are-tomatoes-a-fruit-or-vegetable/ clearly state this fact.
-
Culinary Classification: However, culinarily, tomatoes are often treated as vegetables due to their savory taste and use in dishes like salads, sauces, and stews. This is an arbitrary classification based on how we use them in cooking, not their biological structure. The University of Maine Extension https://extension.umaine.edu/food-health/2024/04/15/fruit-or-vegetable/ highlights this distinction.
The US Supreme Court even addressed this in 1893, deciding on a legal case related to tariffs, classifying tomatoes as vegetables for customs purposes despite their botanical classification as fruits. This showcases the difference between scientific and practical classifications. https://www.wanderingvine.com/stories-1/controversial-supreme-court-decision-is-the-tomato-a-fruit-or-a-vegetable
Therefore, while used as a vegetable in cooking, the tomato's true biological identity is that of a fruit.
