Is a strawberry a berry or a fruit?
Strawberry is one of the most popular and delicious summer fruits, but its scientific classification can cause confusion. Is a strawberry a berry or a fruit? The answer to this question is not quite simple, as it depends on whether you look at it from a botanical or a culinary point of view.
Botanical perspective
Botanically speaking, a strawberry is not a berry. A berry is defined in botany as a fruit that develops from a single flower and its single ovary. Examples of real berries are blueberry, grape and tomato. A strawberry, on the other hand, develops from a flower with several ovaries. Each little “seed” on the surface of a strawberry is actually a separate fruit, and the actual red part we eat is the swollen flower base. Because of this, the strawberry is botanically classified as a non-fruit, more precisely as a multi-structure fruit.
Culinary perspective
In the culinary sense, strawberry is considered a berry. This is because it is sweet, juicy and used in the same way as other berries in cooking and baking. Strawberries are commonly used in desserts, jams, smoothies and many other delicacies, making it a berry in a culinary context.
Summary
In summary, the strawberry is not a berry in the botanical sense, but it is a berry in the culinary sense. This difference is due to the fact that botanical classification is based on the structure and development of the fruit, while culinary classification is based on taste and use.
