An Avocado is a Fruit

Certainly, determining the fruitiness of the avocado is as important a question as the meaning of life. So, let's get down to the truth. I am against the resolution that an avocado is a fruit. 1. Botanical categories are separate from culinary categories. Botany: The characteristic features and biology of a particular kind of plant or plant group. (. http://www.thefreedictionary.com...) Culinary: Of or relating to a kitchen or to cookery. (. http://www.thefreedictionary.com...) Botanical classifications endeavor to organize plant life according to similar biological characteristics. In the case of fruit, it is categorized by it's scientific properties: its chemicals, germination, etc. Culinary classifications rely on a different set of properties, primarily its taste and contribution to a recipe. Therefore, that which is classified as a fruit in botany need not be classified as a fruit in the kitchen. The classifications are separate and based on different criteria. Take for example the classification of "toy. " Given two demographics, children and hunters, classify the following objects: basketball, rifle. Basketball might be considered a toy for both demographics, but the rifle only falls into the category for the hunter. The hunter may say to his hunter buddies, "Check out my new toy," but say to his son, "Do not touch this gun. It is not a toy. " Classifications such as these are context sensitive. 2. The avocado is a culinary vegetable. According to WikiAnswers, "Botanically, [Avocado] is a fruit but culinary or in the kitchen it is often treated as a vegetable. " (. http://wiki.answers.com...) Indeed, the most popular use of avocado is with chicken and vegetarian dishes. (. http://www.avocadofruit.com...). Avocados are not a sweet as culinary fruit and the high amount of monounsaturated fatty acids gives it a more savory flavor. As a result, it is treated in kitchen like a vegetable. While avocados are sometimes used in desserts, this is not sufficient to classify it as a culinary fruit. After all, carrots are used to make carrot cake but are still culinary vegetables. Culinary classifications are concerned with primary usage and individual flavor. Primarily, the avocado is a culinary vegetable. Another botanical fruit that is indisputably considered a culinary vegetable is the tomato. The tomato is used almost exclusively in savory dishes, from pizzas to soups to salads. If tomatoes, which are also a botanical fruit, can be a culinary vegetable, so can the avocado. Indeed, these two ingredients are often used together in Californian cuisine. 3. Culinary categories are more meaningful in lay society. When it comes to classification, the lay person is more likely to identify with the culinary category than the botanical category. Generally, it takes five years of study to become a botanist (. http://wiki.answers.com...), and given the specialty of the field, it is certain that a majority people do not have five years of plant study under their belt. Therefore, when classification of fruits and vegetables is required, the majority of people will favor culinary criteria over botanical criteria. Again, let's examine the tomato. When asked to classify it, most people will call it a vegetable, because this is how it is used in the kitchen. Since a majority of people understand the meaning of vegetable from a culinary perspective, they would not be wrong. Indeed, the term tomato immediately conjures images of salsa, spaghetti sauce, or ketchup. They do not think of cake, cobbler, or mousse. When a parent sees tomatoes remaining on their child's plate they scold, "Eat your vegetables, mister. " So, when classifying any food, it is best to rely foremost on culinary categories as it is far more meaningful in everyday society. Botanical categories have their place, but it's not in the kitchen. 4. The avocado is a vegetable. Since avocado's are a culinary vegetable and since culinary categories are more meaningful in everyday life, the avocado is a vegetable. The only reason to insist on it being a fruit--beyond botany--is to intellectually bully your fellow man. Isn't it about time this holy war be put to an end?