Yes, botanically speaking, some peppers, like bell peppers, are classified as berries.
While we often use bell peppers and other similar varieties culinarily as vegetables, their botanical classification differs. A berry, in botanical terms, is a fleshy fruit produced from a single ovary of a single flower. This means the entire pericarp (the wall of the ripened ovary) is fleshy. Peppers, including bell peppers, fit this description.
Here's a breakdown:
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Botanical Definition of a Berry: A fruit developed from the ovary of a single flower, with its seeds embedded in the fleshy interior.
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Culinary Definition of a Vegetable: A more general term encompassing various plant parts used for food, often savory in flavor.
Therefore, while you might use a bell pepper in a salad like a vegetable, its biological origin firmly places it in the berry family. It's important to note the distinction between botanical and culinary terminology.
