The original issue stems from an agricultural conmerce point, however, as the definitions dictated vastly different tariff rates, etc. In short, vegetables were often staples, and fruits were seen as luxuries. Therefore, when tomatoes first began arriving from the East, the savvy trader would call them vegetables in order to lessen their own cost to transport them, but claim they were fruit when wholesaling inland, IIRC.
“Technically” fruit is a term in both botany and culinary lexicons, but vegetable is only a term for culinary purposes.
Trying to cross terms with different meanings between lexicons and hoping to get order out isn’t reasonable.
The original issue stems from an agricultural conmerce point, however, as the definitions dictated vastly different tariff rates, etc. In short, vegetables were often staples, and fruits were seen as luxuries. Therefore, when tomatoes first began arriving from the East, the savvy trader would call them vegetables in order to lessen their own cost to transport them, but claim they were fruit when wholesaling inland, IIRC.
[Citation needed]