Avocado: fruit or vegetable? Science answers

Avocado has become a common feature in domestic stores and kitchens, yet it is surrounded by many misunderstandings. It is not sweet, yet it is not a typical vegetable, and its cultivation and use also raise numerous questions. From the perspective of agriculture and the food chain, it is not irrelevant how we view this plant. In our article, we explore avocado from botanical, cultivation, and usage aspects, based on multiple sources, in a professional approach. The botanical name of avocado is Persea americana, the fruit of an evergreen tree belonging to the Lauraceae family. It originates from Central America, particularly the regions of Mexico and Guatemala, where it has been cultivated for thousands of years. In botanical terms, it is a single-seeded berry, meaning it is a fruit – even if its flavor does not fit the classic fruits. Conversely, the concept of a vegetable is not botanical but culinary and cultivation-based: it includes plant parts that yield leaves, stems, ...