KIWIFRUIT (Yellow Flesh)

Common Name: Kiwifruit
Vernacular Name: Chinese gooseberry, Kiwi
Botanical Name: Actinidia chinensis
Specimens From: New Zealand
Specimens Weight: 113 gm [3.99 oz] (average weight per fruit)

Kiwifruit have been around since several centuries back, mostly growing wild in China but only in the early 20th century onwards, that New Zealand experimented it and began cultivating it on a large commercial scale.

Initially, they called it the "chinese gooseberry" because it came from China and it tastes similar to a gooseberry fruit (but it does not belongs to the gooseberry family). Once this fruit became popular, they renamed it to "kiwifruit". It is named after a type of bird, kiwi, which is ingenious to New Zealand.
But why named it from a bird's name? Simply because the exterior brown colour and the fuzzy hair of this fruit does look similar to the kiwi bird. And to add to the confusion, some countries shorten the name and just simply call it "kiwi", the same name as the bird. So are we eating the fruit or the bird?
If you think that New Zealand lead in the production of kiwifruit, you are not right. It comes in second to Italy. The native country, China is even no where to be seen.

"Hayward" cultivar, is by far the most popular among the few cultivars but most of them do look similar and it is difficult to tell them apart, so why bother? Basically there are three common types. The common 'emerald green' flesh, the 'golden yellow' flesh (which is this fruit) and the baby hardy kiwi. The red kiwifruit is still new and not commonly found yet. There are also several others too but not on commercially cultivated.

This fruit is usually slightly larger than the size of an egg with a unique beak shape at the stem. The skin is brown with very small and almost non-fuzzy hair as compare to the green flesh variety.
The taste is sweet and slightly acidic, similar to eating a banana with pineapple and/or strawberry thrown in. The skin is edible but most people would prefer not to eat it, including me, due to the unappealing fuzzy look and the tartness. But the sad point is, the skin contains antioxidants. Why is it always the good things usually taste poor! If you really wanted to eat the skin, make sure you wash it thoroughly as the fuzzy hair easily trapped dirt and pesticides.

Just cut it into half and scoop it with a spoon, since the flesh is soft enough and the small black seeds are edible too. Compare with the green flesh variety, the 'yellow flesh' kiwifruit taste sweeter, less acidic and taste better but it is also more expensive!

Kiwifruit is high is vitamin C. It also contains vitamin A, B , E and K, plus fibre and many other minerals as well.

Kiwifruit Juice, Yellow

Kiwifruit juice will great for you. This yellow pulp fruit tastes not so acidic and sweeter than the green kiwifruit. Add water accordingly to dilute the thickness to your preferences.


Fruit: Kiwifruit; Actinidia chinensis; Actinidiaceae.


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HARDY KIWIFRUIT

• Common Name: Hardy Kiwifruit
• Vernacular Name: Baby kiwifruit, Kiwi berry
  
• Scientific Name: Actinidia arguta
  
• Specimens From: USA
  
• Specimens Weight: 6 gm (average weight per fruit)
  

Kiwifruit have been around since several centuries back, mostly growing wild in China but only in the early 20th century onwards, that New Zealand experimented it and began cultivating it on a large commercial scale.

Initially, they called it the "chinese gooseberry" because it came from China and it tastes similar to a gooseberry fruit (but it does not belongs to the gooseberry family). Once this fruit became popular, they renamed it to "kiwifruit". It is named after a type of bird, kiwi, which is ingenious to New Zealand.

Basically there are four common species. The 'emerald green' flesh, the 'golden yellow' flesh, the ' unusual red' flesh and this 'baby hardy' kiwi.

The name, 'hardy', applied to this vine fruits mainly because of its ability to withstand extreme, freezing temperature.

The hardy kiwifruit is the most expensive of the various types, due to its small sizes, but it is also the easiest to eat. Usually, it is about the size of a grape and it is green to purplish without the hairy fuzzy skin.

The whole fruit is edible, so don't bother peeling off its nutrient skin. The inside is exactly like the familiar, normal kiwifruit, just smaller in shape. It is sweeter than the normal kiwifruit and with virtually no traces of acidic taste.

KIWIFRUIT (Green Flesh)

Common Name: Kiwifruit
Vernacular Name: Chinese gooseberry, Kiwi
Botanical Name: Actinidia deliciosa
Specimens From: Italy
Specimens Weight: 72 gm (average weight per fruit)

Kiwifruit have been around since several centuries back, mostly growing wild in China but only in the early 20th century onwards, that New Zealand experimented it and began cultivating it on a large commercial scale.

Initially, they called it the "chinese gooseberry" because it came from China and it tastes similar to a gooseberry fruit (but it does not belongs to the gooseberry family). Once this fruit became popular, they renamed it to "kiwifruit". It is named after a type of bird, kiwi, which is ingenious to New Zealand.

But why named it from a bird's name? Simply because the exterior brown colour and the fuzzy hair of this fruit does look similar to the kiwi bird. And to add to the confusion, some countries shorten the name and just simply call it "kiwi", the same name as the bird. So are we eating the fruit or the bird?

If you think that New Zealand lead in the production of kiwifruit, you are not right. It comes in a far second to Italy. The native country, China is even no where to be seen.

The taste is sweet and slightly acidic, similar to eating a banana with pineapple and/or strawberry thrown in. The skin is edible but most people would prefer not to eat it, including me, due to the unappealing fuzzy look and the tartness. But the sad point is, the skin contains antioxidants. Why is it always the good things usually taste poor! Just cut it into half and scoop it with a spoon, since the flesh is soft enough and the small black seeds are edible too. Honestly, the 'yellow flesh' kiwifruit tastes better but it is more expensive!

"Hayward" cultivar, is by far the most popular among the few cultivars but most of them do look similar and it is difficult to tell them apart, so why bother? Basically there are three common types. The 'emerald green' flesh (which is this fruit), the 'golden yellow' flesh and the baby hardy kiwi.

This fruit is usually oval in shape and the size of an egg but there are also square in shape and large sizes too, though it is not so common. The skin is brown with small fuzzy hair all over.


If you like sour juice, pure kiwifruit juice will be great for you but you can always blend it with other sweet fruits to suit your taste.


Fruit: Kiwifruit; Actinidia deliciosa; Actinidiaceae.


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