AT A GLANCE
Are physalis a fruit or a vegetable?
Botanically, physalis belong to Fruit, since you contain seeds and arise from the flowers of the plant.
Why are physalis botanically a fruit and not a vegetable?
Physalis are assigned to the fruit because the fruit have seeds and get out of the blossoms of the nightshade family develop. These features characterize fruit.
By the way: there Tomatoes, peppers, pumpkins, zucchini, aubergines and cucumbers also contain seeds and develop from the flowers of the respective plant, they will too botanically classified as a fruit. In culinary terms, of course, they all belong to vegetables.
For Vegetables there is no fixed definition. In general, however, all other edible plant parts are meant, for example roots, stems and leaves.
Tip
Physalis can also be used in vegetable dishes
A special type of physalis, namely the tomatillo, can be enjoyed pure or in fruit salads like the classic physalis peruviana. In addition, the greenish tomatillo fruits are also suitable for vegetable dishes such as stews. With their sweet and sour aroma, they add that certain something to spicy Mexican dishes, for example, while also reducing the spiciness a little.