Did you know that avocados are fruit? While some might think an avocado is a vegetable, they are botanically classified as a fruit. Why are they classified as fruits and just what kind of fruits are they? The most important question of all: is an avocado a berry?
What Makes the Avocado A Fruit?
While you might think of fruits as all sweet and not necessarily savory like an avocado, these superfruits are just as fruity as a watermelon or blueberry. Fruit is classified as the fleshy product of a tree or other plant that has seeds and can be eaten as food. Basically, if it has seeds, it’s probably a fruit. Fruits develop from a plant’s flower, whereas vegetables consist of other parts of a plant like the flower buds, roots, leaves, or stalks. However, certain fruits are culinarily categorized as vegetables, including zucchini, eggplant, bell peppers, and tomatoes.
Is An Avocado A Berry?
First, it’s important to understand that not everything called a berry is actually a true berry. A true berry is a simple, fleshy fruit that forms from one ovary on a single flower and has seeds inside it. “Berries” like strawberries, blackberries, and raspberries are not true berries; they develop from multiple ovaries on a single flower. So, are avocados berries? They are! Avocados are a single berry with one seed, or pit, inside.
Did you learn something new? Time to go impress your friends with your new botanical knowledge. Do you know a fun fact about avocados? We’d love to hear it!