Mind-Blowing Discovery Strawberry Aren’t Berries, But Cucumbers Are! The term “berry” usually indicates that something is a “Strawberry,” right? I mean, it couldn’t have been only me who made this assumption. I was searching the internet for fascinating food facts when I came across this startling revelation: strawberries are not berries as defined by scientific nomenclature. However, kiwis, blueberries, and cucumbers are. Interesting, huh? Needless to say, I’m completely amazed Mind-Blowing Discovery Strawberry Aren’t Berries, But Cucumbers Are!.
Here are the opinions of the specialists I consulted on this utterly perplexing subject
Berries: It’s All About the Ovaries
For the meal to be considered a “Strawberry,” it must have a single ovary. Additionally, berries like blackberries, raspberries, and strawberries have many ovaries. Fruits like strawberries are therefore regarded by botanists as pseudocarps or false fruits. According to botany, strawberries are a fruit. “They are actually called ‘aggregate fruits,’ because of the way the fruit comes from a single flower that has multiple ovaries,” explains Ginger Hultin, M.S., RDN, CSO, a registered dietitian nutritionist and spokesperson for the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics based in Seattle. She clarifies, “Berries actually come from one flower with one ovary
Thus, in a technical sense, raspberries and strawberries aren’t actually berries. (However, because they only have one ovary, blueberries are!) They are categorized as aggregation fruits because of their many ovaries. Despite having a distinct categorization and scientific word, they still contain the same nutrition, flavor, and adaptability that you might often expect
“Berries” Are Surprising, Too
Mind-Blowing Discovery Strawberries Aren’t Berries, But Cucumbers Are! What are berries, then? According to Kelly Jones, M.S., RD, CSSD, LDN, “avocados are not stone fruits, but they’re close.” Other berries include blueberries, bananas, avocados, and kiwis, which are fleshy fruits that come from a single flower with a single ovary. “Cucumbers are ‘pepos.’ Interestingly, pumpkins, zucchini, oranges, tangerines, lemons, limes, cantaloupes, and watermelons are also pepos,” says Hultin. “This type of berry has a hard rind for an outer layer, and a fleshy middle. The outer rind helps protect the ovary, which holds all the seeds within
However, “a berry is technically a fleshy fruit, but it has to be without a stone—like apricots, plums, or peaches—and produced from a single flower with just one ovary,” Hultin adds, so when we call those stone fruits, that’s what they are. Let’s put some simplicity into the fruit industry!
The Bottom Line
Regardless of classifications, berries and so-called berries are wonderful. Try them in quick and healthful meals like Blueberry-Lemon Ricotta Pound Cake or Mini Berry Cream Pies. They’re also dubbed superfoods for a reason
