Is Jalapeno a Fruit or a Vegetable? Or, it is a berry just like the banana? Find out what this most loved pepper actually is in this article!
Jalapenos are a part of the chili family and are a hot pepper. People often get confused about what they actually are. This article will answer the question at hand–Is Jalapeno a vegetable or a fruit?
Is chocolate a fruit or a vegetable? Find out here.
What is Jalapeno?
Jalapeno pepper is green and fleshy with an elongated, conical shape. It can be up to 6 inches long. However, the average size remains 2 to 3 inches. It is rich in Vitamin A, C, K, B, folate, and potassium. Jalapenos also have capsaicin, which gives them their characteristic spicy quality. Capsaicin plays a vital role in blood flow and controlling obesity.
Some of the famous varieties of Jalapenos are Jaloro, Mucho Nacho, Billy Biker, NuMex Pinata, Jalaro, and TAM.
Is Jalapeno a Vegetable or a Fruit?
Most people think that Jalapeno is a vegetable because of its pungent flavor. But this is not true. According to botanical classification, jalapeno is a fruit.
Yes, you heard it right!! Jalapeno is a fruit!
Even more specifically, Jalapeno pepper is considered to be a berry. Botanists define berry as a fleshy fruit with many seeds inside. Therefore, Jalapenos with numerous seeds embedded inside is also a berry.
In fact, all varieties of peppers and bell pepper, that have edible seeds inside them are fruits and not vegetables. Many fruits are treated as vegetables like eggplant, tomato, zucchini, cucumber, and beans. In reality, all of them belong to the fruit family.
Conclusion
Even though Jalapeno comes under the family of fruits, it is hot and tangy with great health benefits. It is popularly used in most Mexican cuisines, burgers, sandwiches, subs, even in marinades, stews, and sauces.
It can be a great addition to stews, beef, chicken, and vegetable preparations as it enhances the taste to a great extent!
