Re:tomatoes: fruit or veggie

Jim,

          As a matter of fact, the Supreme Court's decision determining
tomatoes to be a vegeatble for purposes of the 1883 tariff act was neither a
17th nor 18th century decision, but late 19th.  The case was Nix v. Hedden,
149 U.S. 304 (1893).  The Court recognized that a tomato is a fruit when
considered botanically, but in common parlance, and use, it is typically
treated as a vegetable: a rather practical decision, in fact.  If you put
tomato in your vegetable soup, most people don't call it fruit and vegetable
soup.  (And the Justices probably realized that Congress didn't have a clue
anyway.)

                                                     Josh Haskell
                                                     Ohio - zone 5



----- Original Message -----
From: "jim singer" <jsinger@igc.org>
To: <gardenchat@hort.net>
Sent: Monday, December 30, 2002 4:58 PM
Subject: Re: [CHAT] herbs and spices; OT, now tomato


> david, it was the u.s. supreme court that decided the tomato was a
> vegetable--in the 17th or 18th century. seems vegetable imports were taxed
> but fruit imports were not and, well, the feds needed more revenues [does
> this come as a surprise?]. at the time, it appears, we imported most of
our
> tomatoes from the west indies.
>
>
> At 10:45 AM 12/30/02 -0800, you wrote:
> >I don't claim to be a culinary master however I do have a book someplace
that
> >explains herbs and spices and goes into the history of both.  I haven't
> >looked at
> >it in quite some time (not sure I could even find it) but the question is
> >somewhat
> >like the fruit and vegetable thing.  A tomato is a fruit regardless of
> >what Ronald
> >Reagan says.
> >
> >In general though herbs are leafy plants whose leaves are used either
whole or
> >crushed.  A spice is a seed or bark of certain or plants.  I can't think
of an
> >exception to that right now but I'm sure there are some.
> >
> >DF
> >
> >Josh Haskell wrote:
> >
> > > I know there are several culinary masters on the list.  Can anyone
> > explain the
> > > distinction between herbs and spices?
> > >
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> jsinger@igc.org
>
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