Bananas Are Berries, Strawberries Aren't • Hacker News Board

Re: Bananas Are Berries, Strawberries Aren't

#121

Post by kljrewpoioepi » Mon, Jan 20, 2020, 6:29 PM UTC

nkozyra wrote: post #88

globuous wrote: post #80

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Yes !! Tomate à la croque au sel as we call'em !! First time I ate a tomato like that in the US, my american friends made so much fun of me "yo, no way brooo ! he's eating a tomato like an apple, da'fu !! Weird frenchman !!". I still eat my tomatoes like that every so often, it's so good ! Although I think I end up eating quite a bit of salt when I do that which isn't so good...

In my head the biggest problem with this is that tomatoes are very liquidy and that seems like a very messy proposition. Obviously, sliced tomatoes with salt is a relatively common breakfast side item, so the idea of just eating tomato with salt isn't that uncommon in the U.S.

Eat enough of them, and you'll develop the proper technique - do the initial bite slowly and carefully, while gouging the internal pressure. You might need to try another spot. Then immediately suck the interior. Then proceed eating them one pocket at a time, while occasionally sucking any free floating liquid.

Re: Bananas Are Berries, Strawberries Aren't

#122

Post by nkozyra » Mon, Jan 20, 2020, 6:34 PM UTC

Shivetya wrote: post #109

nkozyra wrote: post #88

Earlier quoted context omitted.

In my head the biggest problem with this is that tomatoes are very liquidy and that seems like a very messy proposition. Obviously, sliced tomatoes with salt is a relatively common breakfast side item, so the idea of just eating tomato with salt isn't that uncommon in the U.S.

fyi Waffle House, one of the larger chains of grill made food offer sliced tomatoes as a side in place of hash browns. I have no found that offering elsewhere. So it makes me wonder how it made to the menu

Interesting, I've found it to be a pretty common side item at breakfast places and delis.

Re: Bananas Are Berries, Strawberries Aren't

#123

Post by UnFleshedOne » Mon, Jan 20, 2020, 6:40 PM UTC

zerkla wrote: post #83

globuous wrote: post #80

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Yes !! Tomate à la croque au sel as we call'em !! First time I ate a tomato like that in the US, my american friends made so much fun of me "yo, no way brooo ! he's eating a tomato like an apple, da'fu !! Weird frenchman !!". I still eat my tomatoes like that every so often, it's so good ! Although I think I end up eating quite a bit of salt when I do that which isn't so good...

My Irish auntie also adores a tomato dipped in salt! I haven't been brave enough to try, however.

Try tomatoes with mayo, you will never go back :)

Re: Bananas Are Berries, Strawberries Aren't

#124

Post by Digit-Al » Mon, Jan 20, 2020, 6:48 PM UTC

dv_dt wrote: post #117

asiachick wrote: post #92

Earlier quoted context omitted.

and in South East Asia avocados are eaten as a fruit more than a savory thing like in Mexico. Avocado smoothies are delicious! Also there are tomatoes that are much sweeter than your average USA tomato. In Japan they are called Fruit Tomatoes.

The average US tomato was bred for mass shipping and tastes like wet cardboard. Try an heirloom tomato, or something else less mass produce at a farmers market - they taste completely different.

My mum grows her own tomatoes and they are absolutely amazing. So lovely and sweet.

Re: Bananas Are Berries, Strawberries Aren't

#125

Post by [deleted] » Mon, Jan 20, 2020, 6:50 PM UTC

[deleted]

Re: Bananas Are Berries, Strawberries Aren't

#126

Post by edflsafoiewq » Mon, Jan 20, 2020, 6:53 PM UTC

mikorym wrote: post #48

dmos62 wrote: post #9

I find the article pleasant in its writting and humour. For me this goes to show that thin clickbait articles can be interesting, it's just that most people who can write don't usually do clickbait. Excerpt: > The technical definition of a berry is "a fleshy fruit produced from a single ovary." If you're not too familiar with botany, this definition probably isn't helpful at all. But once you learn that oranges and t…

And of course the technical definition supersedes the use of the word "berry" in the English language...

I'm curious how the botanical definition came about. I believe "berry" comes from a word that means "grape" (which are berries in the botanical sense).

In Middle English, everything that wasn't a berry was an "apple". A banana was an appel of paradis, apple of paradise.

Re: Bananas Are Berries, Strawberries Aren't

#127

Post by Digit-Al » Mon, Jan 20, 2020, 7:00 PM UTC

mikorym wrote: post #48

dmos62 wrote: post #9

I find the article pleasant in its writting and humour. For me this goes to show that thin clickbait articles can be interesting, it's just that most people who can write don't usually do clickbait. Excerpt: > The technical definition of a berry is "a fleshy fruit produced from a single ovary." If you're not too familiar with botany, this definition probably isn't helpful at all. But once you learn that oranges and t…

And of course the technical definition supersedes the use of the word "berry" in the English language...

The problem is that the people who name things don't always have enough knowledge to name them properly. And once a name has stuck, even if it's technically incorrect, it ain't gonna change.

Re: Bananas Are Berries, Strawberries Aren't

#128

Post by Digit-Al » Mon, Jan 20, 2020, 7:02 PM UTC

mrleiter wrote: post #20

There's a very good video on this [1] by Innuendo Studios on why this discussion is more or subjective, since it matters in what context you say it and what you mean by it. He does this with the example of a tomato, which by botanical defintion is a fruit. But in culinary terms, it is a vegetable. So when someone says "haha, did you know that a tomato is actually a fruit", it's subjective and can almost have no added…

Well according to the article it could also be considered a berry.

Re: Bananas Are Berries, Strawberries Aren't

#129

Post by Digit-Al » Mon, Jan 20, 2020, 7:07 PM UTC

mantap wrote: post #53

LoSboccacc wrote: post #51

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> Cooks know the taste of the tomato and will use it accordingly. this is an exceptionally simplistic view since tomato is readily available as juice, as opposed as zucchini and peppers, whose are seldom used in cocktails that aren't smoothies

Peppers are also fruits though. I think this is merely a flaw with the English language. Tomatoes are fruits (fruit of the tomato plant) but they are not fruit (a food category). It's two separate words with different grammatical treatment.

From the article:

> Berries also must have two or more seeds, and their fruit must develop from a flower with one ovary. Once again, the banana checks those boxes. And, weirdly, so does the tomato, eggplant, kiwi and pepper. Oranges are a specific type of berry called hesperidium thanks to their distinct segments.

Just to throw some extra confusion into the mix :-)

Re: Bananas Are Berries, Strawberries Aren't

#130

Post by Digit-Al » Mon, Jan 20, 2020, 7:10 PM UTC

cmurphycode wrote: post #115

theBobBob wrote: post #23

I remember hearing some super cliched but kinda funny saying one time: "Knowledge is knowing that tomatoes are a fruit. Wisdom is knowing that you shouldn't put it in a fruit salad."

And being a chef is knowing how to make it work anyway :)

I saw a chat show once where there was a debate as to whether a tomato was a fruit or vegetable. The person arguing for them as a fruit challenged the other party to eat them with custard. The producers then got someone to make up some custard and brought it in bowls with some tomatoes for them to eat.

They ended up quite enjoying them, but I have never been tempted to try it lol