Fruit · Nutrition concepts
Is coconut a fruit, a nut, or a seed?
A coconut is botanically a drupe, a type of fruit. It contains one large seed, while in cooking it is often grouped with nuts because of how the flesh is used.
Quinnoa articles
Latest articles
All Quinnoa articles in one place.
Fruit · Comparisons
Mandarin vs clementine: how to tell them apart and what changes
A clementine is a type of mandarin. Clementines are usually small, sweet, easy to peel, and low in seeds, while “mandarin” covers a much broader group of citrus.
Fruit · Nutrition & composition
Can you eat kiwi skin? Here is what it adds
Yes. Kiwi skin is edible when the fruit is sound and washed under running water. Leaving it on adds fiber and lets you eat more of the fruit, though peeling is also perfectly fine.
Fruit · Nutrition concepts
Is a tomato a fruit or a vegetable? It depends on what you mean
Botanically, a tomato is a fruit because it develops from a flower and contains seeds. In the kitchen, it is treated as a vegetable because of its flavor and how it is used.
Vegetables & mushrooms · Nutrition & composition
Broccoli vs broccolini: what is the real difference?
Broccolini is not simply young broccoli: it is a cross between broccoli and gai lan, or Chinese broccoli, selected for long tender stems and small florets.
Fruit · Nutrition & composition
Plantain vs banana: which has more starch and less sugar?
A green plantain is much starchier and less sweet than a ripe banana; as plantains ripen, part of that starch is converted to sugars and their flavor changes.
Vegetables & mushrooms · Comparisons
Scallions, green onions, and chives: are they really the same?
In U.S. cooking, scallion and green onion are usually two names for the same market vegetable; chives are distinctly different, with much thinner leaves and no comparable fleshy white stalk.
Vegetables & mushrooms · Comparisons
Shallot vs onion: why the flavor and texture are different
Shallots have fine layers and an aromatic flavor that often seems more delicate when cooked; common onions provide more bulk and a wider range of intensity across varieties.
Vegetables & mushrooms · Nutrition & composition
Zucchini vs cucumber: they look alike but are very different foods
Both are green, elongated, and water-rich, but zucchini is a summer squash that handles cooking extremely well while cucumber is crisper and used mainly in fresh preparations.
Grains & pseudocereals · Nutrition & composition
Flatbread vs sandwich bread: which packs more calories per serving?
Flatbread is not automatically lighter: a small pita may be moderate, but a large naan or wrap can weigh as much as several slices of sandwich bread.
Nuts & seeds · Nutrition & composition
Powdered vs regular peanut butter: where do the calories go?
Powdered peanut butter is lower in calories because peanuts are pressed to remove much of their oil before the remaining solids are ground; it is not simply dried regular peanut butter.
Grains & pseudocereals · Nutrition & composition
Corn vs flour tortillas: which has fewer calories and more fiber?
A traditional corn tortilla usually has fewer calories per piece; fiber has no universal winner because a whole-wheat flour tortilla can exceed refined versions of either type.