Tomatoes or tomatoes are a well-known food plant. Fresh in salads, salted, pickled, as well as scrambled eggs, other dishes ... And what kind of soup without tomatoes? We are all accustomed to this vegetable. But is this a vegetable ... Let's see, what is tomato - berry, vegetable or fruit?
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Is it a berry, vegetable or fruit?
In 1883, there was even a lawsuit in the USA that went down in history as “Knicks vs. Hedden”in which it was found out whether a tomato is a vegetable or fruit.
Sources say that edible parts of herbaceous plants are considered vegetables (fruits, roots, others), and fruits - juicy fruits of woody plants. Therefore, tomato, carrots, potatoes are vegetables, and apples, plums, pears are fruits.
Although until 1705 there was no concept of “fruits” in Russia. All edible parts of garden plants, including woody plants, were called vegetables, ovoshty.
The berries are the succulent fruits of grassy or woody plants. (shrubs, trees) small. The meaning of the word “berry” in the conventional sense and as a botanical term is different.
From the berries (in the conventional sense) they make compotes, jams, jams, jam, as well as fruits. The last statement, according to the author, is important for the separation of fruits and berries from vegetables.
If the jam of vegetables is also boiled, though less often, then compotes - never.
Traditionally, tomatoes are vegetables.. According to the above definition, they are also vegetables, as these plants are herbaceous. From a botanical point of view, this is a berry..
The truth about tomato:
The place of the vegetable in the systematics of plants: to which family does it belong
Nowadays, botanists carry a tomato to the Solanum genus., although before tomatoes and nightshade were in different genera, he belonged to the genus Lycopersicon, in which 9 species were distinguished.
But it turned out that not all natural descendants of tomatoes belong to this genus. Therefore, plants of the genus Lycopersicon were attached to the genus Solanum.
Botanical genus Nightshade belongs to the family of the nightshade. Tomato has all the features of this family.: simple leaves, their next leaf arrangement, regular flower shape, fruit - berry (in the Solanaceae there is also a box; for example, a henbane or a dope).
The correct botanical name is Edible Tomato, or Edible Tomato. Other names: Tomato is real, cultural, ordinary.
In Russia, the old classification is more often followed, referring to a vegetable of the genus Lycopersicon. Such a name can be found in the Planterium online plant identifier.
In it, the Latin name is denoted as Lycopersicon esculentum Mill, and not as in the international classification Solanum lycopersicon.
How correctly is called the fruit of tomato
Why is tomato considered fruit? From the traditional, philistine point of viewAs already mentioned, a tomato is a vegetable.
But for most people it's just tomatoes, or tomatoes. And this is also correct.
In fact, the correctness of the name is a relative thing and depends on in what sense and where it will be used. Botanists have their own terms, culinary specialists, for example, have different terms.
When describing recipes for dishes, the botanical classification of fruits is not important, they write: “5 kg of tomatoes” or “3 tomatoes”.
The benefits and harm of tomato
They have a diverse chemical composition. They contain carotenoids, a complex of vitamins of group B, and also vitamins C, P, K.
From nutrients they have a lot of potassium, magnesium, chlorine, phosphorus, calcium. There are other important chemical elements (sulfur, iron, copper, sodium, manganese, etc.).
The sweetness of the fruits give their constituent sugars. Tomatoes are also contained in pectic substances, proteins, organic acids, and fiber.
The complex of tomato carotenoids includes Lycopene, a powerful antioxidant. It reduces the risk of atherosclerosis, cancer and cataracts.
These berries improve the digestive processes, have a choleretic effect. They are useful as a vitamin remedy, as well as for obesity, atherosclerosis, hypertension, heart failure, those with poor eyesight, cataracts began to develop. Fresh tomato juice helps dissolve gallstones.
Phytoncidal properties are also found in the fruits of the plant.thanks to what the fruits pounded in gruel are used for healing of purulent wounds and ulcers.
The benefits of tomato will tell the program "To live healthy!":
But not all of these vegetables are possible. First of all, it concerns those who have an allergy or intolerance to them.
It is believed that these vegetables contribute to the deposition of salts (especially oxalates). This is not entirely true.
Studies have shown that oxalic acid in them is extremely smalltherefore, they cannot particularly affect the processes of oxalate stone formation. The question of the fact that they are contraindicated in gout is controversial.
The benefits and harms of tomatoes from the transfer of "On the Most Important":
Appearance history
Homeland of tomatoes - South America. There they still grow wild. In Europe, these plants were in the sixteenth century, but then they were considered decorative and even poisonous.
In Russia, they appeared in the eighteenth century. in the Crimea, from where spread throughout the territory. But they became a well-known culture only in the nineteenth century.
Now there are many varieties of tomatoes with different shapes and colors of fruits. You can find varieties from yellow to orange, from pink to maroon.
And there are even varieties whose fruits remain green.. The size of the crop varies in very wide limits - from small cherry trees to large ones weighing 400-500 g.
Interesting Facts
An episode is known in history when they tried to poison these fruits. the future President of the United States, George Washington, because then they were considered poisonous.
The name “tomato” goes back to the Italian name of this plant “pomodoro” (“golden apple”), and “tomato” to the Aztec “tomato”.
So, from a botanical point of view, the fruit of a plant is a berry. For cooks and most people, a tomato is a vegetable.
It is used for the preparation of first and second courses, side dishes, salads, some boil jam from it, but they are never put in compotes. Therefore, a tomato is not a berry or a fruit.
Tomatoes are useful and loved by many.. However, there are contraindications to the use of "berries" that you should know.