(Golden) Kiwi Fruit / Chinese Gooseberry

Kiwi fruit (Actinidia deliciosa) are native to East Asia, perhaps China, akiwi1but were only commercially grown in New Zealand in the 1930’s from seeds obtained in the Yangtze River Valley. Better known by their more common green variety, these “Golden” specimens spied in a Singapore grocery last weekend were a stunning yellow and the flesh sweet and less acidic tasting. They were superb. I have always liked kiwis though some are delivered to groceries really unripe and can be painfully sour. With 10 times the Vitamin C as the equivalent amount of lemons, this is a highly nutritious fruit. It also looks terrific when added to fruit salads, used as a garnish, etc. I like to slice a ripe kiwi fruit in half and just scoop out the insides with a spoon. Best when served slightly chilled.

The new Golden variety is the result of hybrids done in New Zealand akiwi2and while I don’t normally take to just any highly engineered fruit or vegetable, one taste of these kiwis and I was sold. I can’t wait until they find their way into the local groceries. Though kiwi fruit are still primarily grown and exported by New Zealand, growers in California and Southern France have also started to raise the fruit as its popularity grows globally. Isn’t it odd that the Chinese never capitalized on the fact that this fruit is indigenous to their country?

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7 Responses

  1. yeah the golden kiwi. . . i spotted them last week surprisingly at the Shopwise supermarket (Cubao) along with fresh peaches,WOW. I really was so surprised seeing these fruits in the supermarket, a lot of times they don’t supply fruits other than the common ones (apples, oranges, mango etc.). I immediately bought the fruits and served them in my breakfast fruit platter, well that was just one lucky grocery day. . .

  2. Even if China capitalized on the fact that the kiwi fruit is indigenous to them, they can’t really do anything about the fact that it is only cultivated in mountainous areas in their countries (like upstream Yangtze). New Zealand, on the other hand is a very ideal place to grow the kiwi fruit…mountains and all, you know.

    By the way, North Americans and perhaps the rest of the world know kiwi to be a fruit, but when in New Zealand, always use “kiwi fruit”. Otherwise, you either confuse or irritate a New Zealander. Kiwi to them, is the animal (the fruit got its name from this animal because of the similarity of the “hair”) or a New Zealander, not a fruit.

  3. My dad introduced me to the kiwi fruit. He received a basket full of kiwi(s) from a colleague, came home with it, and found his youngest daughter addicted to the dang fruit! =) I usually buy my kiwi addiction in Cherry Foodarama in Shaw Blvd. Goody for my breakfast with cereals or oatmeal…yummy.

  4. mr marketman, golden kiwi is available, try chinese fruit stores. It costs more than the green ones though :(

  5. Yahoo, didn’t think these had made it here yet… thanks for letting me know, folks!

  6. Kiwis are one of the favorite fruits for my two daughters. Sometimes both of them would each eat two at one sitting. We can buy both the yellow and green kiwis here in Taiwan. One tip with kiwis is that you need to squeeze it to check for ripeness. The more unripe it is the more sour it tastes. Don’t eat it if it is still hard as it will be extremely sour. To check for ripeness hold the kiwi in your hand and squeeze, it is ready to eat when it is slightly soft when you press it with your fingers.

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