Is Pumpkin A Fruit Or A Vegetable, Fun Facts to Know
There exists a very common confusion about the concept of fruit and vegetable. It is usually differentiated based on how it is consumed. Other than that, some facts make them different from each other. Although they are different from each other, they have a wide connection between them as well. You’ll get to know more about it as we proceed with the article.
It is sometimes hard to differentiate between fruits and vegetables. For example, if we talk about tomatoes or cucumbers what do we call them? Do we consume it as a fruit? We don’t. We consume it as a part of our savory meals which makes them vegetables. But if we consider the way they are grown, it makes them fruits. Fruits are usually grown from the ovum of the flower of the concerned tree. It could be from a single ovum or more than that. Whereas, any part of a plant can be a vegetable like its stem, leaves, fruits, roots, or anything.
When we talk about pumpkins it becomes a little tricky. Pumpkin is grown out of flowers but is usually consumed cooked with a savory meal. If we talk about the Asian region, pumpkin is consumed as a staple whereas western countries make desserts and pies out of the pumpkin.
Is pumpkin a fruit or a vegetable? What is the difference between them?
The very common and popular notion about fruits and vegetables is that they are different types of plants whereas they are complementary to each other. They have a very interesting bonding between them which you might not know. Primarily, we need to know that there is a specific part of a tree that’s called fruit. Not every tree or plant grows fruit but whichever does, the process is the same. The flower of the plant has to bloom and pollinate then ovaries start growing one or more seeds that turn into fruit eventually.
On the contrary, vegetables are not any specific part of a plant. Any part can be a vegetable like its root, stem, flower, fruit, leaf, or anything. The very common examples are carrots, potatoes, onions, beets, spinach, lettuce, and so on. These are the roots and leaves of the plants.
These two elements are also classified based on the region and the culture. If it is being eaten like a savory meal along with other proteins then it can be considered a vegetable. When it comes to culture and region, the aspect and spectrum of this concept enlarge at its best. This becomes a very diverse concept in this case. In tropical areas, pineapple is consumed as a fruit whereas, in different other areas, they cook pineapple in their savory meals which makes it a vegetable that way. There is a very famous recipe for pork cooked with an apple in the southern US where most of the region consumes apples as a very common fruit.
Is pumpkin a fruit or a vegetable? How do we conclude?
The above-mentioned discussion involves all the factual parts of vegetables and fruits. Pumpkin is generally not consumed raw globally. It is always consumed cooked. But the mode of cooking or consumption varies from place to place. In the Asian region pumpkin is a very common vegetable that is eaten with rice or roti and so on. In western countries, desserts and pies are made out of pumpkin but not eaten raw.
If we look at the biological side, pumpkin is grown out of a flower so it is the fruit of a particular plant. But when it is consumed it becomes a vegetable as it is not consumed raw but cooked.
Summary ‘Is Pumpkin A Fruit Or A Vegetable
It is sometimes hard to differentiate between fruits and vegetables. For example, if we talk about tomatoes or cucumbers what do we call them? Do we consume it as a fruit? We don’t. We consume it as a part of our savory meals which makes them vegetables. But if we consider the way they are grown, it makes them fruits. Fruits are usually grown from the ovum of the flower of the concerned tree. It could be from a single ovum or more than that. Whereas, any part of a plant can be a vegetable like its stem, leaves, fruits, roots, or anything.
When it comes to culture and region, the aspect and spectrum of this concept enlarge at its best. This becomes a very diverse concept in this case. In tropical areas, pineapple is consumed as a fruit whereas, in different other areas, they cook pineapple in their savory meals which makes it a vegetable that way. Pumpkin is generally not consumed raw globally. It is always consumed cooked. But the mode of cooking or consumption varies from place to place. In the Asian region pumpkin is a very common vegetable that is eaten with rice or roti and so on. In western countries, desserts and pies are made out of pumpkin but not eaten raw.
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