Different cultures have their own rules. In many Asian cuisines, mangoes are used in spicy salads, acting like a vegetable. In the West, they’re strictly a dessert fruit.
In Italy, tomatoes are the soul of a vegetable-heavy cuisine. In France, mushrooms (which aren’t even plants, but fungi) are treated like vegetables. We just love to classify things based on taste.
The world is a delicious, confusing place. Embrace the chaos.
Fun Fact: The Strawberry Lie
The strawberry isn’t a true fruit. Those tiny seeds on the outside? Those are the actual fruits (achenes). The red part we eat is just a swollen receptacle. It’s a botanical con artist.
But does that stop you from loving it on a shortcake? Not a chance. We eat with our hearts, not just our heads.
