What Is the Difference Between Fruit and Vegetables?

There is no clear scientific definition of the difference between fruit and vegetables. The difference between fruits and vegetables is best understood in terms of culturally set conventions. Numerous exceptional cases make a clear distinction from each other not possible. A mixed definition is usually used to determine whether a food is a fruit or a vegetable. You weigh up according to several criteria and then decide individually on a case-by-case basis.

One of the common differentiators is the notion that fruit is primarily eaten raw, while vegetables always need to be cooked. However, fruits such as apples can also be cooked in the form of a roast or baked apple, while vegetables such as cucumbers, tomatoes, peppers, and kohlrabi are often eaten raw.

Another difference between fruits and vegetables is the notion that fruits are the fruit of a plant, while vegetables are roots, leaves, or other parts. Here, too, numerous exceptions can be cited: For example, zucchini, peppers, tomatoes or pumpkins are botanically considered fruits just like apples or pears.

Even the common contradiction that fruit tastes sweet and vegetables are salty and hearty cannot be maintained. Carrots or beetroot have a sweet note and can be used in juice form like apples or oranges. In theory, the difference between the two food groups could be determined by the sugar content, which is generally higher in fruit. However, setting such a “sugar limit” would be quite arbitrary.

A botanical definition provides the most conclusive distinction: According to this, fruit is the fruits and seeds of perennial plants, such as shrubs or trees. These plants bloom every spring and then produce new fruit. New fruits can be harvested from apple trees or currant bushes over the years. Vegetables, on the other hand, are parts of plants that can only be harvested once and die off after two years at the latest. Vegetables have to be sown or planted again and again. But there are exceptions here too: Vegetables such as asparagus and artichokes, for example, are perennial vegetables.