Food Terminology Is Nuts

It’s surprisingly difficult to find clear definitions for these terms online:

  • seed = plant embryo
  • fruit = seed container
  • nut = hard-shelled fruit
  • grain = small, hard seed
  • cereal = grain-yielding plant

“A legume is a plant in the family Fabaceae” according to Wikipedia. A pulse is legume seed. Beans, lentils, and peas are all pulses. As far as I can tell there’s no real definition for these.