Definition for Vegetable

Vega

Vegetal pole

In botanical terms, vegetables encompass various edible parts of plants that aren't necessarily fruits. However, in the culinary and cultural context, the term "vegetable" is often used to refer to non-sweet, savory plant parts.

Some examples include leaves (lettuce, spinach), stems (celery, asparagus), roots (carrots, beets), bulbs (onions), and tubers (potatoes) are all considered vegetables. Additionally, some foods we typically think of as vegetables, such as bell peppers and zucchinis, are botanically fruits but are often used as vegetables in cooking.

In contract, a fruit is the mature ovary of a flowering plant that develops after fertilization. It contains seeds and is typically formed from the ovary's wall. Thus, a tomato is botanically a fruit.