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VegetableVegetable is a culinary term. Its definition has no scientific value, and is somewhat arbitrary and subjective. Any part of a herbaceous plant that humans eat whole or in part is a vegetable, except for culinary fruits and arguably grains, nuts, herbs, and spices. Also, mushrooms are commonly considered vegetables, despite belonging to a different biological kingdom, namely fungi (which used to be classified as plants). Vegetables include leaf vegetables (for example lettuce), stem vegetables (asparagus), root vegetables (carrot), flower vegetables (broccoli), bulbs (garlic) and botanical fruits such as cucumbers, squashes, pumpkins, avocados, capsicums, as well as botanical pulses such as green beans, and fleshy, immature seeds such as those of peas or beans. Since "vegetable" is not a botanical term, there is no contradiction in a plant part being a fruit botanically while still being considered a vegetable (see diagram). See Nix v. Hedden for a United States Supreme Court's ruling on the matter. In general, vegetables are thought of as being savoury, and not sweet (with some exceptions, such as rhubarb and pumpkin). Commercial production of vegetables is a branch of horticulture called olericulture. Vegetable is also used as a literary term for any plant: vegetable matter, vegetable kingdom. It comes from Latin vegetabilis (animated) and from vegetare (enliven), which is derived from vegetus (active), in reference to the process of a plant growing. This in turn derives from the Proto-Indo-European base *weg- or *wog-, which is also the source of the English wake, meaning "not sleep". The word vegetable was first recorded in print in English in the 14th century. The meaning of "plant grown for food" was not established until the 18th century. Vegetables are eaten in a variety of ways as part of main meals and as snacks. The nutrient content of different types varies considerably. With the exception of pulses, vegetables provide little protein and fat. Vegetables contain water soluble vitamins like vitamin B and vitamin C, fat soluble vitamins including vitamin A and vitamin D, and also contain carbohydrates and minerals. The green color of leafy vegetables is due to the presence of the green pigment chlorophyll. Chlorophyll is affected by pH. In acid conditions it changes to olive green, and in alkali conditions it becomes bright green. Some of the acids are released in steam when vegetables are cooking, particularly if they are cooked without a cover. The yellow/orange color of fruits and vegetables are due to the presence of carotenoids, which are also affected by normal cooking processes or changes in pH. The red/blue color of some fruits and vegetables (e.g. blackberries and red cabbage) are due to anthocyanins, which are sensitive to changes in pH. At neutral pH they are purple, at acid pH are red, and at alkali pH they are blue. They are very soluble in water. Potatoes should be stored in a dark, cool, and dry place to prevent then from becoming mouldy and green (due to a reaction to light), and to stop them sprouting in warmth. Root vegetables should be stored in a similar way. Check out the following recipes that are tagged "Vegetable":
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