The Science Behind It: A Tomato is a Fruit ! According to science, the tomato is, without a doubt, a fruit. Botanists (scientists who study plants) have a specific way of defining fruits and vegetables. Fruits are the part of the plant that develop from a flower and contain seeds. No food straddles the line between fruit and vegetable more famously than the tomato . And while your elementary-school teacher or know-it-all friend may have informed you that tomatoes are technically fruits, the answer isn't so clear-cut. Tomatoes contain seeds and grow from flowers, making them a fruit botanically. But in their culinary uses, tomatoes are considered vegetables. Here’s the answer to whether a tomato is a fruit and a look at the botanical and culinary difference between fruits and vegetables. Tl;dr: A tomato is a fruit, but it is usually considered a vegetable.
