We eat the fleshy tissue of the tomato, which is primarily composed of the pericarp and the placenta.
The edible portion of a tomato is largely made up of:
- Pericarp: This is the fruit wall, which includes:
- Outer wall (the skin)
- Inner wall
- Radial wall
- Columella
- Placenta: This is the fleshy tissue to which the seeds are attached.
Essentially, we consume the entire fruit excluding the stem and leaves. The combination of the pericarp and placenta gives the tomato its fleshy texture and characteristic flavor.
