By now I would think we have all heard that Tomatoes are a fruit, not a vegetable. Even though they are considered a veggie, they in fact are not. However a ruling by the Supreme Court in 1893 classified them as a veggie for "trade" purposes. (Google it, kind of interesting).
Most people wrongly classify Bananas as a fruit, when it is a herb. Yes, the plant it grows on looks tree-like but it is not a tree, the so called trunk is made up of many leaves tightly wrapped around a flower stem that sticks out of the top. And unlike most fruits the banana is sterile and is only able to reproduce by side-shoots the main plant produces (this means that banana you ate months ago and the one you ate today are genetically identical).
The tops of Broccoli (called florets) are closed flower buds. The picture from ieatfreshfruit.com, they have some good tips on how to pick the best tasting Broccoli.
It is also a member of the cabbage family, The Italian name for it means "the flowering top of cabbage". Who knew, flower buds could be so healthy for you.
Kiwis grow on a vine like grapes, and they contain double the amount of Vitamin C that is in an Orange.
The Rhubarb plant has poisonous leaves (good thing we only use the stalks), they have a potentially fatal amounts of a chemical compound that is found in bleach and other cleaners.
A single Pomegranate can hold over 1,000 seeds. If your looking for a fruit high in antioxidants Pomegranates are what you need, it contains more then any other kind of fruit juices. They make Pomegranate juice by pressing the whole fruit, this is what makes it so high in antioxidants (the good stuff is in the peel and the white pith).
Would it surprise you to know that Peaches, Pears and Plums are in the Rose family?
Now this is just a short list of interesting things you may not know about some of the things we eat, I will have to do some more of these "Fun Facts" posts.
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