Are Potatoes Vegetables?

Potatoes, most definitely, are vegetables. They are in the root vegetable category and are more specifically “tubers” because they are underground stems. 

It can actually be confusing as to what is truly a fruit or a vegetable but there’s one simple rule of thumb to know the difference – it’s in the seeds.

What is a vegetable?

A vegetable is the part of a plant that can be consumed for food such as the roots, stems, leaves, flowers, or bulbs. Common types of vegetables include:

• Leafy greens such as lettuce and spinach
• Cruciferous plants like cabbage, cauliflower and broccoli
• Marrows, which include pumpkin, cucumber and zucchini
• Root vegetables such as potatoes, carrots and beets
• Edible plant stems like celery and asparagus
• Alliums, which include onions, garlic and shallots

Most vegetables can be eaten raw or prepared in many ways, usually for savory dishes.

What is a fruit?

The most common way to tell fruits from vegetables is that fruits are often vessels for their own seeds. Think apples, oranges, tomatoes, pomegranates and cucumbers. Other fruits like bananas and pineapples do not contain their seeds, but are from the seed-bearing structure of a flowering plant. To make it a little more confusing – nuts and acorns are also technically fruits. But, from a culinary standpoint, fruits usually refer to the sweet-tasting produce of a plant.

More potato/veggie facts:

• The potato plant produces flowers and berries that are actually poisonous. Eating them causes headaches and nausea.
• Although they seem solid, potatoes are actually 80% water
• Sweet potatoes are not potatoes – they are from different plant families. Sweet potatoes are “morning glories” and potatoes are “nightshades”
• Potatoes were first cultivated in Peru around 8,000 BC to 5,000 BC – not Ireland like many people assume