Etc.

May 25, 2007

I'd like a second helping of our state vegetable, please

When Oklahoma attracted attention recently by designating the watermelon, a member of the cucumber and gourd families, as its official vegetable, it was hardly the first state to pass such a decree. The practice of naming an official fruit or vegetable appears to have begun in 1965, when New Mexico adopted the chile and pinto beans as state vegetables. Stateline.org, which keeps track of such developments, indicates that New York was the first to adopt an official fruit (the apple) in 1976. Today, 30 states have official fruits (from blueberries and strawberries to oranges, peaches, and pumpkins) while nine have official vegetables. The latter states, in alphabetical order, and their respective vegetables:

Arkansas South Arkansasvine-ripened tomato
Georgia Vidalia sweet onion
Idaho Potato
Louisiana Sweet potato
New Mexico Chile and pinto beans
North Carolina Sweet potato
Oklahoma Watermelon
Texas Sweet onion
Utah Spanish sweet onion