ENTERTAINMENT

Can Athens tell fruits from vegetables? Find out in this TV series episode filmed at UGA.

Andrew Shearer
Athens Banner-Herald
University of Georgia professor Dr. Tim Coolong on the set of the RFD-TV Network series, "Where The Food Comes From," in Athens, Ga. on July 13, 2024. The episode will air on Feb. 16 and 17, 2024.

For the final episode of its fourth season, the RFD-TV Network series "Where Food Comes From" last July visited Athens and the University of Georgia campus to find out if locals were able to tell fruits from vegetables.

In a mock game show called "Fruit Or Vegetable?!," host Chip Carter quizzes contestants to test their knowledge about some commonly-known foods.

The episode is scheduled to air at 9:30 p.m. Friday and again at 12:30 a.m. Saturday. The RFD-TV Network is available for DirecTV, Dish, Cable and Sling TV subscribers. A sneak peek from the show featuring College of Agricultural & Environmental Sciences public relations coordinator Jordan Powers can be viewed on the "Where Food Comes From" YouTube Channel.

Eggplant, pecans, peanuts, onions, corn and carrots are a few of the items presented to the show's contestants, and most everyone, including Carter, have a surprising amount of trouble guessing correctly. The average person is aware that tomatoes are fruit, but what we think are seeds on strawberries are fruit as well. The actual seed is inside of the sweet red part of the berry that surrounds the fruit.

Also featured in the "Fruit or Veggie?!" game show is UGA Department of Agriculture Professor and Extension Specialist Dr. Tim Coolong, who is on hand to help explain things when folks need help with correct answers. In a press release, Coolong said that knowing the difference between fruits and vegetables is key information when it comes to farm management.

“Even in cooking, a fruit would be an item that’s consumed alone," said Coolong. "A vegetable would be defined as an item that would be consumed as part of something else, part of a dish or a side item.”

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