Thursday, March 19, 2009

Theme Thursday: Vegetable

Quickie post!

Did you know that the term VEGETABLE is not a botanical term, but only a culinary term?

Did you know that a tomato is NOT a vegetable but a FRUIT! Well, a BERRY to be precise. It is referred to as a vegetable in culinary terms, but it's really a fruit (like a coconut is not a nut but a fruit!)

And the tomato is NOT the only culinary vegetable that is a botanical fruit: eggplants, cucumbers, and squashes of all kinds (such as zucchini and pumpkins) share the same ambiguity.

VEGETABLE backwards is ELBATEGEV. - random!

From the letters in VEGETABLE, you can form the following 5-or-more lettered words: table, beget, beetle, bagel, gable... add some more!

29 comments:

  1. bleat.

    Wow, I found a word. This early, without my coffee !

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  2. I never thought of tomatoes as being berries! Interesting.

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  3. LOL Ambiguous veggies..

    Now,I'll be a tomato,would you tell me why you would an eggplant please?

    :D LOL

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  4. Hey reyjr! I knew about the eggplant( thanks to Mom ). But the squash as well? I learn something to-day :)

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  5. Yes we make sweets with tomatoes here in Greece lol
    Great...linguistic post!

    Take care
    xoxo

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  6. I did not know about vegetable being only a culinary term. Interesting. TEAL

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  7. these are good things to know...something to talk over at the dinner table.

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  8. Tomatoes are native to the Americas. The English wouldn't eat them for the longest time, convinced they were poisonous (well, they are related to Nighshade, and tomatoes look like larger Nightshade berries). The Spanish knew better because they saw the Aztecs and Mayans making sauces and such with them, and of course the French consider everything potential food (after all, who else would eat snails?). Now, of course, even the English can't live without tomatoes!

    Oh yeah - beet, level, able, veal...

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  9. Ha! A nice jumble of fun facts. Thanks!

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  10. I knew the tomato was a fruit....wasn't sure about the egg plant but all peppers are fruits too....go figure. Thanks for the fun facts!!!

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  11. This is the most sensible explanation of the whole "tomato: fruit or vegetable?" controversy that I have ever heard. Of COURSE there have to be two genres of classification: the culinary and the botanical!! Of Course!! why did no one ever point this out before? Actually I think I almost thought of this but never quite got it into words!! Next time this discussion comes up (and it will), I will be ready! Thank you!

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  12. Now I am confused, it was bad enough when a tomato was fruit but now a berry?

    And how about that rhubarb that is really a vegetable but we treat it as a fruit?

    great post!

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  13. So what's an avocado then? *delicious that's what!*

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  14. a tomato is a BERRY? i have a hard enough time thinking of it as a fruit

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  15. Now that I think about it, I can see how a tomato would be a berry. This perplexes me, I'm going to go sip a cup of tea and ponder such wonders. Thank you for teaching me something new.

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  16. Shoot, I was going to say bevel. Oh well! :)

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  17. Table is just far too obvious, isn't it?

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  18. Gee, get, a, bee, lab, tag, bag, baget, tee, vet, lag, tab, beg, leg, gab, eat, tea, bat, bet, alee, eel, glee, let, gel, be, baa, gave, eve, aleve.

    Okay, this is a game that we used to play as kids and we always had fun doing this. Thank you for bringing back some memories.

    I did not know about tomatoes being in the berry family or that vegetable was a culinary word. And I too am curious about the eggplant thing.

    But did you know the banana is the weird thing, in that it is not truly a fruit in that it does not have seeds, but is not a vegetable, but is classified as a fruit. And I do not think it is a tuber or root vegetable either. I think it is in a class of its own.

    Very good explanation about vegetables. I actually learned something.

    And thank you so much for offering about how to post a video. I will take you up on that offer anytime that you would like to help me. I have so much to learn and you seem to be able to explain things so well. I really appreciate your willingness to do this.

    Salamat and God bless.

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  19. WOWOWOW! so many visitors for such a short post. haha. Thanks all for the visit!

    Mariane - congrats! maybe 5 more words after your morning coffee!

    Wings - Thanks!!

    R.L. Bourges - yep! that's one too!

    willow - same here. lol!

    Candie Bracci - I want to be an eggplant for the OBVIOUS reason that it's uhm.. violet.

    subtorp77 - lol. I know right? who thinks of these stuff anyway?

    Marianna - I love Greek food! Love it!

    Ronda Laveen - same here. i don't cook, that's why!

    runmotman - lol, was that an invitation to dinner? haha!

    Roy - Thanks for the info! very interesting!

    tut-tut - thank you too for the visit!

    Holly Jolly - haha. i wonder if a gourd is a vegetable..

    Mama K - haha! glad to have helped!

    Colette Amelia - i've never had a rhubard in my life!

    Baino - hahaha! yes it is!

    Jaime - a berry like a cherry!

    Evening Light Writer - lol. it's wonders of the tomato berry.

    Megan - haha, better luck next time. have some coffee first!

    Kris - you don't get any points! hahah!

    Mrsupole - no worries! shall i post a comment with detailed instructions on your blog?

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  20. Fun post! Thank you for the education, and thank you for the well wishes for our garden!

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  21. Vegetable or fruit what's in a title, they are all good, except Okra.

    Interesting scramble word: leave

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  22. Hi, Your blog is nominated for the Filipino Blog of the Week award (week 153). You may visit the site and vote. Please find the poll at the sidebar.
    http://salaswildthoughts.blogspot.com

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  23. Dude, I voted for you.
    And remember to eat your veggies!
    xxoo

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  24. Diana - you're welcome!

    Dakota Bear - but i like Okra too!

    Auntie - THANKS MUCH!

    talk - awesome! i hope i win! :D

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  25. Congratulations on your nominatation!BerryGood post!

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  26. @ tony - Thanks Tony! I won this! :D

    @ Brian - haha. :p

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