Are sweet potatoes a fruit or vegetable?

Here's why:

* Botanically: Sweet potatoes are root vegetables. They are the thickened, edible roots of the sweet potato vine.

* Culinary use: They are typically cooked and eaten as a savory side dish, not a dessert.

* Growth: They grow underground, like other root vegetables (carrots, beets, etc.).

While they might taste sweet, their botanical and culinary classifications make them vegetables.