Fruit

Edible reproductive structures that develop from a flower’s ovary and enclose seeds. Fruits are typically sweet or tart and eaten raw, but many are cooked, dried, or fermented. Tag plants “fruit” when the harvestable part is a fleshy or dry fruit prized primarily as food.

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  Bananas: Chaos out of Order

  The banana’s familiar image hides a complex history of human intervention and global migration. This story explores the banana’s botanical roots, challenges cultural stereotypes, and highlights the ongoing confusion in its scientific classification.
  fruit, tropical, staple
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  The Breadfruit's Reinvention: Pacific to Caribbean

  Breadfruit, a towering tree with nourishing fruit, has long been a staple across the Pacific, spread by human migration and cultivation. This story explores how its movement reveals patterns of settlement, and how selective breeding over millennia transformed the plant into the seedless, resilient form we know today.
  fruit, tropical, staple
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  Cacao: Indigenous Network to Global Commodity

  Cacao, the source of chocolate, has a deep history rooted in ancient Mesoamerican cultures where it held spiritual and social significance. This story traces its journey from Indigenous traditions to a global commodity, revealing its role in colonial encounters and cultural exchange.
  fruit, beverage, tropical, stimulant
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  Tamarind: From Shady Refuge to Versatile Foodstuff

  The tamarind tree (Tamarindus indica) is both revered and feared—praised for its medicinal and culinary uses, yet shrouded in myth and mystery. This story explores its deep cultural roots, global spread, and symbolic contradictions as a plant of refuge, resilience, and supernatural lore.
  fruit, tropical, condiment
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  Watermelon: Stereotypes of Race and Class

  Though now beloved for its sweet red flesh, watermelon was historically a pale, sometimes bitter fruit valued for its rind, medicinal uses, and hydration. This story explores how Citrullus lanatus evolved over time and became entangled with cultural stereotypes, revealing its complex global and social history.
  fruit, tropical, temperate