Question 1: the correct answer is True. Got it right? Score 1 point.
Question 2 of 10
Peanuts are a type of nut.
Why, in question 1: The tomato is, botanically, a fruit.
That's right. Botanically, a fruit is the part of the plant that develops from the flower and holds the seeds. The tomato fits that, as do the cucumber, the squash and the bell pepper. In the kitchen, however, they are usually treated as vegetables.
Botany and cooking speak different languages
The fruit-versus-vegetable split in the kitchen has more to do with flavor and use. Fruits tend to be sweet and served as dessert; vegetables go into savory dishes, even when, botanically, they are also fruits.
In 1893, the U.S. Supreme Court went so far as to rule that the tomato should be treated as a vegetable for import tax purposes, precisely because of its culinary use.
The tomato originates from South America, from the Andes region, and was domesticated in Mexico before reaching Europe in the 16th century. For a long time, Europeans viewed it with suspicion.
It belongs to the same family as the potato, the eggplant and the chili pepper, and its red color comes from lycopene, a pigment in the carotenoid family.
