Are Olives a Vegetable? We are quite familiar to have olives with our martinis or sprinkle them on our slice of pizza. Olives are something that enhances the taste of the food you put them in. The usage of olives is mostly seen in Mediterranean and European cuisines. Italian and Mexican cuisines have a rigorous use of olives. But there is confusion about if olives are fruits or vegetables.
In this discourse, we will have a detailed discussion on whether olives are fruit or vegetable.
Are olives a vegetable? Why so?
If we look at the biological or technical side of olive, it is a fruit. The fruit belongs to the tree called Olea europaea. The stones inside olives are the seeds from which the plant can be grown. So in the botany books, olives are classified as the fruit of the very plant. If you need the proof you can just pop an olive in your mouth and you’ll get it. The category is called drupes or stone fruit. This category includes sweeter fruits like dates, mango, apricot, peaches, plums, and cherries. It solely depends on the reproductive body of the respective plant. Encyclopedia Britannica states that fruits refer to the fleshy and dry ovary of a flowering plant having seeds within.
They also state that there is no particular part of a plant that could be termed a vegetable. Any part of a plant that is edible could be considered a vegetable. The roots, leaves, stems; all of this could be a vegetable. Lettuce is a leaf, drumsticks are the stem and carrots are the root of the respective plants. The way of consumption determines if it is a fruit or a vegetable. Vegetables are those which are consumed cooked and as a part of our savory meals. In this case, olives are used as a flavor enhancer. So it is more like spice like onions and garlic.
Are olives a vegetable? Why do some call it a fruit?
Olives are technically fruits as they carry seeds within and are grown up from the ovary of the flower. But since it is not consumed as a fruit, it is a vegetable. To be more precise, it works like a spice such as pepper. Pepper is the fruit of the plat technically but it is not considered as a fruit but a vegetable. Pepper also works the same as olives do. It adds up the flavor and enhances the taste of the dish.
According to the encyclopedia, olives are a fruit because of their biological formation. But apart from it, olives have no such role as a fruit in our lives. We can pluck fresh olives and eat them just like that. We might take a bite but we can’t just keep eating olives without any other meal.
What are the few facts that you need to know?
- Olives can’t be eaten fresh from the grove. It has to be cured and fermented.
- Green olives and black olives grow in the same tree.
- Full of fatty acid that helps decrease bad cholesterol or LDL and maintains HDL or good cholesterol.
- Olive belongs to the stone fruit family a.k.a drupes.
- Olive oil is very good for a healthy heart.
Are olives a vegetable? How does it matter?
The botanists say that an olive is a fruit as it grows from a flower’s ovary. But if we look at the way it is consumed, we would rather call it a vegetable. But it is more like spice as it adds up a good flavor to the dish. But the thing is that this discourse of whether olive is a vegetable or fruit is pointless in my belief. Whatever the conclusion we draw from the discourse, that would not make any difference to the olives and how they are consumed by people.
Summary
If we look at the biological or technical side of olive, it is a fruit. The fruit belongs to the tree called Olea europaea. The stones inside olives are the seeds from which the plant can be grown. So in the botany books, olives are classified as the fruit of the very plant. If you need the proof you can just pop an olive in your mouth and you’ll get it. The category is called drupes or stone fruit. To be more precise, it works like a spice such as pepper. Pepper is the fruit of the plat technically but it is not considered as a fruit but a vegetable. Pepper also works the same as olives do. It adds up the flavor and enhances the taste of the dish.
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