10 Deceptive Vegetables That You Wouldn’t Believe Are Actually Fruits
If you didn't know, the two key characteristics of all fruit are as follows: they are derived from a plant and contain seeds. With this in mind, are you prepared to have your mind blown? Prepare to reexamine your entire understanding of fruits and vegetables. In fact, you've probably been mistaking certain fruits for vegetables your entire life! If you need convincing, here are ten shocking undercover fruits masquerading as vegetables.
Tomatoes
Let's start off with something more commonly known. Yes, the tomato is indeed a fruit. As an essential ingredient in our pizzas, salads, and pasta, this food comes from the flower of a plant and houses many seeds that you've probably come across. Crossing off both the two key characteristics of a fruit, that means tomatoes qualify!
Avocados
Surprise! After all the avocado toast you've consumed, are you surprised to learn you've been eating a fruit? This creamy, smooth, and heart-healthy food is not a veggie after all - these green gems are actually single-seeded berries. I guess that makes your beloved guacamole a fruit salad?
Peppers
Whether it's a sweet or spicy pepper, they all classify as fruits. Just like tomatoes, peppers grow from the flowering part of the plant and contain numerous seeds. So remember the next time you're biting into a spicy jalapeno, it's actually a fruit making you sweat!
Cucumbers
If you've ever munched on these cool and crisp garden "veggies" paired with some tangy ranch, it'll come as a shock to learn these are actually fruits. Again, the seeds are a big giveaway! But seriously, who knew fruits could pair so well with ranch?
Olives
Whether you love them or hate them, olives are a staple of Mediterranean cuisine. Found as a topping on your pizza or a garnish to your cocktail, olives are indeed fruits. They grow from the blossom of a tree and contain a seed, classifying them as a fruit.
Zucchinis
This one may come to you as a shock, but next on our list is the humble zucchini. Whether you're baking zucchini bread or grilling it for a barbecue, it may be hard for you to wrap your head around the fact that this is, in fact, a fruit.
Eggplants
Eggplants might look like textbook vegetables, but don't be fooled by their exterior. Growing from a flower and containing seeds inside, this is the next food to join our deceptive fruit club.
Pumpkins
As a Halloween staple, you'll be interested to learn that the next time you're carving out a pumpkin, you're actually carving a fruit. Making a pumpkin pie? That's a fruit pie, all right. While it may be the largest one you've ever seen, pumpkins are technically berries!
Okra
Known for their unique texture, okra is a staple in many cuisines worldwide. If you've ever had a bite of delicious fried okra down in the Southern parts of America, you'll be surprised to learn that this "finger-like" vegetable is actually a fruit, too.
Corn
As the final surprise on this list, corn is, indeed, a fruit, not a vegetable or a grain. In fact, each kernel on the cob is technically an individual fruit! With such a naturally sweet taste, this "vegetable" might be the most suited to fall under this category.
Wouter Supardi Salari on Unsplash
There you have it, ten fruits that you thought this whole time were vegetables. Who knew food could be so deceptive? Armed with this new perspective, you're now all prepped and ready to drop some fun fruit facts at your next dinner party.