Vegetable
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[[Image:The farmer's market near the Potala in Lhasa.jpg|thumb|right|[[Farmers' market]] showing vegetables for sale in [[Lhasa]], [[Tibet]]]]
[[Image:2004fruit & vegetable.PNG|thumb|right|[[Fruit]] and vegetable output in 2004]]
The term "'''vegetable'''" generally means the [[Eating|edible]] parts of [[plant]]s. The definition of the word is traditional rather than [[scientific]], however. Therefore the usage is somewhat arbitrary and subjective, as it is determined by individual cultural customs of food selection and food preparation.
Generally speaking, a [[herbaceous plant]] or plant part which is regularly eaten as unsweetened or salted [[food]] by [[humans]] is considered to be a vegetable.
[[Mushroom]]s, though belonging to the [[kingdom (biology)|biological kingdom]] [[Fungus|Fungi]], are also generally considered to be vegetables, at least in the [[retailing|retail industry]].<ref>[http://www.sainsburys.com/groceries/index.jsp?bmUID=1204364272863 [[Sainsbury's]] vegetable offering.]</ref><ref>[http://www.ocado.com/webshop/getCategories.do?categoryId=000117519 [[Ocado]]'s vegetable offering.]</ref>
[[Nut (fruit)|Nut]]s, [[seed]]s, [[cereal|grain]]s, [[herb]]s, [[spice]]s and culinary [[fruit]]s are usually not considered to be vegetables, even though all of them are edible parts of plants.
In general, vegetables are regarded by cooks as being suitable for [[savory]] or salted dishes, rather than [[sweet]] dishes, although there are many exceptions, such as [[pumpkin pie]].
Some vegetables, such as carrots, bell peppers (or Capsicum as they are known in Australia) and celery, are eaten either raw or cooked; while others, such as potato, are traditionally eaten only when cooked.
==Is it a fruit or a vegetable?==
[[Image:Fruitnveg.png|thumb|A simplified [[Venn diagram]] shows the overlap in the terminology of "vegetables" in the culinary sense and "fruits" in the botanical sense.]]
The word "vegetable" is a [[culinary art|culinary]] term, not a [[botanical]] term. The word "fruit" on the other hand can be a culinary term or a botanical term, and these two usages are quite different.
Botanically speaking, fruits are fleshy reproductive organs of plants, the ripened [[Ovary (plants)|ovaries]] containing one or many seeds. Thus, many botanical fruits are not edible at all, and some are actually extremely poisonous. In a culinary sense however, the word "fruit" is only applied to those botanical fruits which are edible, and which are considered to be a sweet or dessert food such as strawberries, peaches, plums, etc.
In contrast to this, a number of edible botanical fruits, including the [[tomato]], the [[eggplant]], and the [[bell pepper]] are not considered to be a sweet or dessert food, are not routinely used with sugar, but instead are almost always used as part of a savory dish, and are salted. This is the reason that they are labeled as "vegetables". Thus a [[plant]] part may scientifically be referred to as a "[[fruit]]", even though it is used in cooking or food preparation as a vegetable.
The question "''The tomato: is it a fruit, or is it a vegetable?''" found its way into the [[United States Supreme Court]] in 1893. The court ruled unanimously in ''[[Nix v. Hedden]]'' that a [[tomato]] is correctly identified as, and thus taxed as, a vegetable, for the purposes of the 1883 Tariff Act on imported produce. The court did acknowledge however that botanically speaking, a tomato is a fruit.
==A list of vegetables defined as different parts of plants==
* ''Flower bud'': [[broccoli]], [[cauliflower]], [[globe artichoke]]s
* ''[[Seeds]]'': [[Corn]]
* ''[[leaf vegetable|Leaves]]'': [[kale]], [[collard greens]], [[spinach]], beet greens, turnip greens, [[endive]]
* ''Leaf sheaths'': [[leeks]]
* ''[[Bud]]s'': [[Brussels sprout]]s
* ''[[Plant stem|Stems of leaves]]'': [[celery]], [[rhubarb]] (sometimes called a fruit because sweet pies are made from it)
* ''[[Plant stem|Stem of a plant]] when it is still a young shoot'': [[asparagus]]
* ''Underground stem of a plant or [[tuber]]'': [[potatoes]], [[Jerusalem artichokes]], [[sweet potato]] (often incorrectly called a yam in the USA), also the true [[yam (vegetable)|yam]]
* ''Whole immature plants'': [[bean sprout]]s
* ''[[root vegetable|Roots]]'': [[carrots]], [[parsnips]], [[beets]], [[radishes]], [[turnips]]
* ''[[Bulb| Bulbs]]'': [[onions]], [[garlic]], [[shallots]]
* ''[[fruit#Botanic fruit and culinary fruit|Fruits]] in the botanical sense'': [[tomatoes]], [[cucumber]]s, [[squash (vegetable)|squash]], [[pumpkin]]s, [[capsicum|capsicums (bell peppers and hot peppers)]], [[eggplant]], [[tomatillo]]s, [[christophene]], [[okra]], also the following:
** ''[[Legumes]]'': [[pea]]s, [[bean]]s
** ''Whole unripe seed pods of legumes'': green beans, [[snap peas]]
==Etymology==
The word "vegetable" is still sometimes used as an archaic literary term for any plant: ''vegetable matter,'' ''vegetable kingdom''.<ref>Swedenborg, Emanuel. (2003) ''Swedenborg Concordance 1888''. Kessinger Publishing. p. 502. ISBN 0-7661-3728-7.</ref> The word comes from the 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 language|Proto-Indo-European]] base ''*weg-'' or ''*wog-'', which is also the source of the English ''wake'', meaning "become (or stay) alert". The word ''vegetable'' was first recorded in print in [[English language|English]] in the 14th century. The meaning of "plant grown for [[food]]" was not established until the 18th century. <ref>{{cite book | first=John | last=Ayto | title=Dictionary of Word Origins | publisher=Arcade Publishing | location=New York | year=1993 | id=ISBN 1-55970-214-1}}</ref>
==In the diet==
Vegetables are eaten in a variety of ways, as part of [[Meal|main meals]] and as [[Snack food|snacks]]. The [[nutrition]]al content of vegetables varies considerably, though generally they contain a small proportion of [[protein]] and [[fat]],<ref>{{cite book |author=Woodruff, Sandra L. |title=Secrets of Fat-Free Cooking : Over 150 Fat-Free and Low-Fat Recipes from Breakfast to Dinner-Appetizers to Desserts |publisher=Avery Publishing Group |location=Garden City Park, N.Y |year= |pages= |isbn=0-89529-668-3 |oclc= |doi=}}</ref><ref>{{cite book |author=Whitaker, Julian M. |title=Reversing Diabetes |publisher=Warner Books |location=New York |year= |pages= |isbn=0-446-67658-6 |oclc= |doi=}}</ref> and a relatively high proportion of [[vitamin]]s, [[provitamin]]s, [[dietary mineral]]s, [[Dietary fiber|fiber]] and [[carbohydrates]]. Many vegetables also contain [[phytochemical]]s which may have [[antioxidant]], [[Antiseptic|antibacterial]], [[Antifungal drug|antifungal]], [[Antiviral drug|antiviral]] and [[anticarcinogenic]] properties.<ref>{{cite article|author=Gruda, N|title=Impact of Environmental Factors on Product Quality of Greenhouse Vegetables for Fresh Consumption|publisher=Taylor & Francis Group|location=Crit. Rev. Plant Sci. 24(3)|year=2005 |pages=227-247|oclc= |doi=}}</ref><ref name="pmid8841165">{{cite journal |author=Steinmetz KA, Potter JD |title=Vegetables, fruit, and cancer prevention: a review |journal=J Am Diet Assoc |volume=96 |issue=10 |pages=1027–39 |year=1996 |pmid=8841165 |doi=10.1016/S0002-8223(96)00273-8}}</ref>
==Color==
[[Image:GntVegCart.jpg|thumb|Vegetables (and some fruit) for sale on a street in [[Guntur]], [[India]]]]
The [[green]] [[color]] of leafy vegetables is due to the presence of the green [[pigment]] [[chlorophyll]]. Chlorophyll is affected by [[pH]] and changes to olive green in [[acid]] conditions, and bright green in [[alkaline]] conditions. Some of the acids are released in [[Steaming|steam]] during [[cooking]], particularly if cooked without a cover.
The [[yellow]]/[[Orange (colour)|orange]] colors 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]] coloring of some fruits and vegetables (e.g. [[blackberries]] and [[red cabbage]]) are due to [[anthocyanins]], which are sensitive to changes in pH. When pH is neutral, the pigments are [[purple]], when acidic, red, and when alkaline, blue. These pigments are very water soluble.
==Storage==
Many [[root vegetable|root]] and non-root vegetables that grow underground can be stored through winter in a [[root cellar]] or other similarly cool, dark and dry place to prevent [[mold]], [[Potato#Toxic compounds in potatoes|greening]] and [[sprouting]]. Care should be taken in understanding the properties and vulnerabilities of the particular roots to be stored. These vegetables can last through to early spring and be nearly as [[Nutrition|nutritious]] as when [[Post harvest freshness|fresh]].
During storage, leafy vegetables lose [[moisture]], and the vitamin C in them degrades rapidly. They should be stored for as short a time as possible in a cool place, in a container or [[plastic bag]].
==See also==
{{cookbook}}
{{commons}}
*[[List of vegetables]]
*[[Perennial vegetable]]
*[[Vegetarianism]]
*[[Veganism]]
*[[Herbivore]]
*[[Market gardening]]
==Notes==
{{Reflist}}
==External links==
* [http://www.vric.ucdavis.edu UC Vegetable & Research Information Center]
* [http://web4.msue.msu.edu/veginfo Michigan Vegetable Information Network]
[[Category:Vegetables|*]]
[[Category:Vegan cuisine]]
[[Category:Vegetarian cuisine]]
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