berry

Berry is a term used in botany for a kind of fleshy fruit that develops from a single ovary and contains seeds embedded in the flesh. In a true berry, the pericarp (the outer fruit wall) is typically soft and fleshy, and the fruit does not split open at maturity. The seeds are dispersed with minimal hard tissue around them.

There is a discrepancy between botanical and common usage. Many fruits commonly called berries in everyday language are not true berries, such as strawberries, raspberries, and blackberries, which are aggregate fruits built from multiple ovaries. By contrast, currants and gooseberries are true berries, and so are many fruits widely eaten as berries in groceries, including grapes, tomatoes, kiwifruit, blueberries, cranberries, and avocados. Bananas are also classified as berries in botanical terms.

Botanical berries can vary in size from small to medium and may be spherical, oblong, or oval. They are produced by a wide range of plants, including vines (grapes), shrubs (blueberries, cranberries, currants), and even some trees. Cultivation is extensive for many berries due to consumer demand for fresh fruit and for products such as juice and jams. Nutritionally, berries are typically rich in vitamins, fiber, and antioxidants, and they play a significant role in diets worldwide.

Overall, the term berry reflects a botanical classification that often diverges from common culinary usage, highlighting the difference between scientific fruit categories and everyday descriptors.