Vegetable
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Venn diagram representing the relationship between (botanical) fruits and vegetables. Botanical fruits that are not vegetables are culinary fruits. |
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Tomatoes growing in a vegetable garden |
Vegetable is a
culinary term. Its definition has no
scientific value and is somewhat arbitrary and subjective. All parts of an
herbaceous plant that humans eat whole or in part is a vegetable, except for culinary
fruits and arguably
grains,
nuts,
herbs, and
spices. Also,
mushrooms are commonly considered vegetables, despite belonging to a different
biological kingdom, namely
fungi (which used to be classified as plants).
Vegetables include
leaf vegetables (for example
lettuce), stem vegetables (
asparagus),
root vegetables (
carrot), flower vegetables (
broccoli),
bulbs (
garlic) and botanical fruits such as
cucumbers,
squashes,
pumpkins,
capsicums, as well as
legumes such as
green beans, and fleshy, immature seeds such as those of
peas or
beans.
Since "vegetable" is not a
botanical term, there is no contradiction in a plant part being a fruit botanically while still being considered a vegetable (see diagram). See
Nix v. Hedden for a United States Supreme Court's ruling on the matter.
In general, vegetables are thought of as being
savoury, and not
sweet (with some exceptions, such as
rhubarb and
pumpkin).
Commercial production of vegetables is a branch of
horticulture called
olericulture.
Vegetable is also used as a literary term for any plant:
vegetable matter, vegetable kingdom.
[Swedenborg, Emanuel. (2003) Swedenborg Concordance 1888. Kessinger Publishing. p. 502. ISBN 0766137287.] It comes from Latin
vegetabilis (animated) and from
vegetare (enliven), which is derived from
vegetus (active), in reference to the process of a plant growing. This in turn derives from the
Proto-Indo-European base
*weg- or
*wog-, which is also the source of the English
wake, meaning "not sleep". The word
vegetable was first recorded in print in
English in the
14th century. The meaning of "plant grown for food" was not established until the
18th century.
Vegetables are eaten in a variety of ways as part of main meals and as snacks. The nutrient content of different types varies considerably. With the exception of pulses, vegetables provide little protein and fat.
[Woodruff, Sandra. (1995) Secrets of Fat-Free Cooking. Avery. p. 85. ISBN 0-89529-668-3.][Whitaker, Julian. (2001) Reversing Diabetes. Warner Books. pp. 269-71. ISBN 0-446-67658-6.] Vegetables contain water soluble vitamins like vitamin B and vitamin C, fat soluble vitamins including vitamin A and vitamin D, and also contain carbohydrates and minerals.
The green colour of leafy vegetables is due to the presence of the green pigment chlorophyll. Chlorophyll is affected by pH. In acid conditions it changes to olive green, and in alkali conditions it becomes bright green. Some of the acids are released in steam when vegetables are cooking, particularly if they are cooked without a cover.
The yellow/orange color of fruits and vegetables are due to the presence of carotenoids, which are also affected by normal cooking processes or changes in pH.
The red/blue color of some fruits and vegetables (e.g. blackberries and red cabbage) are due to anthocyanins, which are sensitive to changes in pH. At neutral pH they are purple, at acid pH are red, and at alkali pH they are blue. They are very soluble in water.
Potatoes should be stored in a dark, cool, and dry place to prevent then from becoming moldy and green (due to a reaction to light), and to stop them sprouting in warmth. Root vegetables should be stored in a similar way.
Leaf vegetables lose vitamin C and water rapidly during storage and should therefore be stored for the minimum time in a cool place, in a plastic bag.
All vegetables should be stored as efficiently as possible in a root cellar to maximize fresh vegetable intake over the winter. Many vegetables can last through to early spring and be nearly as good as just off the plant.
*
List of vegetables*
Vegetarianism*
Veganism*
Herbivore*
UC Vegetable & Research Information Center*
Michigan Vegetable Information Networknds-nl:Greunte
