No, gum arabic is not a fruit.
Gum arabic, also known as gum acacia, gum sudani, or Senegal gum, is a tree gum. It is a dried exudate obtained from the stems and branches of Acacia senegal and Vachellia seyal trees (belonging to Acacia sensu lato). These trees are primarily found in the Sudan region of Africa, but also grow in other parts of Africa and the Middle East.
Here's a breakdown:
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What is a fruit? Botanically, a fruit is the mature ovary of a flowering plant, typically containing seeds.
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What is gum arabic? Gum arabic is a complex mixture of polysaccharides and glycoproteins. It solidifies when it is exposed to air. It is essentially the sap that hardens after seeping out of the tree.
Therefore, since gum arabic is a tree gum (a hardened sap) and not a mature ovary containing seeds, it is definitively not a fruit.
