Raw banana is a fruit.
While culinary uses sometimes blur the lines, botanically, a banana, including a raw one, is considered a fruit. This is because it develops from the flower of the banana plant and contains seeds (though in commercially cultivated bananas, these seeds are significantly reduced and often unnoticeable).
Here's a breakdown:
- Botanical Definition: A fruit develops from the flower of a plant and contains seeds. Bananas fit this definition.
- Culinary Definition: In cooking, the distinction between fruits and vegetables often depends on taste and usage. Fruits are generally sweet and used in desserts, while vegetables are savory and used in main courses. However, some bananas, like plantains, are less sweet and used as vegetables. This culinary distinction does not change the fact that bananas are botanically fruits.
Therefore, regardless of whether it's ripe and sweet or raw and starchy, a banana remains a fruit based on its botanical origin. Even plantains, which are used more like vegetables in cooking, are botanically fruits.
