Bananas Are Berries, Strawberries Are Not—Let’s Talk

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Chris Grimes & Stephen Bird
May 28, 2025

Bananas Are Berries, Strawberries Are Not—Let’s Talk

Alright, grab your trucker hat and suspend your disbelief. Because what I’m about to tell you might ruin every fruit salad you’ve ever eaten: Strawberries aren’t berries. But bananas? Total berries.

The Science of What Makes a Berry

Botanically, a berry is:

  1. From a single flower’s ovary

  2. Fleshy throughout

  3. Has seeds embedded in the flesh

That’s it. That’s the berry bar. And according to this science, bananas, tomatoes, eggplants, and even grapes all wear the crown of berries.

Meanwhile, your precious strawberries, raspberries, and blackberries? They’re imposters. They’re aggregate fruits, made from multiple ovaries. Still tasty, still great in jam, but not as good with berries.

What’s a Berry (Table Recap)

Fruit

Technically a Berry?

Why

Banana

✅ Yes

Develops from one ovary, has flesh & seeds

Tomato

✅ Yes

Fleshy fruit from a single ovary, seed-filled

Eggplant

✅ Yes

Contains seeds & pulp, meets botanical definition

Kiwi

✅ Yes

Fuzzy, sweet, and by-the-book botanical berry

Grape

✅ Yes

The original OG berry

Strawberry

❌ Nope

Grows from multiple ovaries; it’s an aggregate

Raspberry

❌ Nope

Same deal, multiple ovaries

Blackberry

❌ Nope

Still delicious, still lying to us

Where They Came From

  • Bananas: Native to Southeast Asia. Artificial hybrids, such as the Cavendish, dominate store shelves.

  • Tomatoes: Central and South America. Once thought to be poisonous (and possibly still are to folks who put sugar in their chili).

  • Kiwis: Originally from China, but marketed by New Zealand in the 20th century.

  • Strawberries: Developed in France from wild European and Chilean varieties.

Next time someone hands you a fruit cup and says, “Here, have some berries,” just remember: You might be eating an eggplant in disguise. Or a tomato with a superiority complex.

Stay berry confused, my friends.