As an aquatic herb originating from Europe and Asia, Eleocharis tuberosa is widely planted in the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River and some provinces with relatively high water content. Because its fruit has sharp horns, it is called water chestnut. So is the water chestnut we eat in our daily life a fruit?

According to the definition of fruit, fruit belongs to the category of raw food, and it is sweet, and the plant fruit with more juice can be called fruit. Water chestnut is very suitable for this condition, so it also belongs to the existence of fruit. It can not only be eaten raw, but also be processed into various other foods. For example, its immature fruit can be eaten raw as fruit, but its tender stems can also be used as vegetable food. Therefore, it belongs to both herbs and fruits, and can also be eaten as a vegetable. It is rich in nutritional value, such as some starch, high-quality protein, and some mineral elements and trace elements.

As a plant growing in the lake, it matures after autumn every year. The stem of water chestnut is purple and has small yellow flowers. As an annual aquatic herb, its fruit is visible when it matures and becomes hard. As a nut, it can be eaten raw as a fruit when it is young and immature, and can be processed into other foods when it is mature. Very delicious, with high nutritional value. Widely cultivated in southern China, and also cultivated in other provinces. It is recorded in Compendium of Materia Medica, a book of traditional Chinese medicine, which can play a role in invigorating spleen and kidney, clearing lung-heat and relieving cough.

Is water chestnut a fruit? Water chestnut can be eaten raw as a fruit when it is young, but its stems and leaves can also be eaten as vegetables, so it belongs to both fruits and vegetables.