Yes, a walnut is a fruit. More specifically, it is a type of single-seeded stone fruit, also known as a drupe.
Understanding Walnuts as Fruits
While often categorized as nuts in culinary contexts, botanically, walnuts fit the definition of a fruit. A fruit develops from the ovary of a flowering plant and contains seeds. In the case of walnuts:
- Origin: Walnuts grow on walnut trees.
- Structure: They consist of a kernel (the edible part), enclosed within a hard shell. The shell is surrounded by a husk, which is removed during processing.
- Botanical Classification: As drupes, walnuts are similar to peaches and plums, where the fleshy part is removed, leaving the hard shell containing the seed.
Therefore, although the fleshy part of the fruit is removed before we consume it, a walnut is technically a fruit.
