24/01/2021
Kiwi
In 1976, at the New York airport, a customs officer mistook a box of kiwi fruit for a box of ammunition and ordered all passengers to be evacuated. Now, hardly anyone will confuse this fruit with something else. It was bred by New Zealand breeders and named after the small bird of the same name, which has become one of the symbols of New Zealand. Kiwi is used to make fruit salads, decorate desserts, marinate meat with it and just eat it raw
Product Description
In 1976, at the New York airport, a customs officer mistook a box of kiwi fruit for a box of ammunition and ordered all passengers to be evacuated. Now, hardly anyone will confuse this fruit with something else. It was bred by New Zealand breeders and named after the small bird of the same name, which has become one of the symbols of New Zealand. Kiwi is used to make fruit salads, decorate desserts, marinate meat with it and just eat it raw
Kiwi (Latin Actinidia deliciosa) is a cultivated tree-like vine belonging to the genus Actinidia.
Kiwis grow on huge bushes up to 9 m high, the young leaves of which are covered with red hairs. And there are enough hairs on the brown fruits themselves. Their bright green flesh with edible small seeds remains firm until fully ripe.
The aroma and taste of the fruit is reminiscent of gooseberries, strawberries, pineapple, and even melon. Kiwi has a lot of funny names like monkey peach or furry berry.
Kiwi is a native of East China. But he was not particularly appreciated in his homeland: the Chinese considered him a good tonic for growing children and, without fail, gave it only to nursing women. In 1847, the first samples of the plant appeared in London, brought there by the Royal Horticultural Society.
60 years later, kiwis were grown in New Zealand from imported Chinese seeds. The fruit of the vine was then called the Chinese gooseberry. At first, kiwis remained a decoration in many New Zealand gardens. Kiwi gained commercial popularity only in the 1940s, when plantations were given to this crop.
In 1959, the horticultural company Turners & Grovers named the fruit after the symbol of New Zealand - the kiwi bird, which is also brown and furry.
The homeland of kiwi - China - today is not even among the top ten suppliers of fruit to the world market. Italy takes the first place in fruit growing. It is followed by New Zealand, Chile, France, Greece, Japan and the United States.
Kiwi fruit is rich in vitamin C, 10 times more than lemon!
Types and varieties
There are sweeter kiwi varieties with an almost smooth, light brown skin and golden flesh. These fruits never knit, unlike the half-ripe regular kiwis.
Recently, a new species has appeared on European markets - the bald kiwi. The Kiwee fruit does not need to be peeled and can be eaten like apples with the peel. It was recently bred and given the Latin name Actinidia arguta. This type of kiwi was not genetically modified, but was created as a result of selection from one Chinese species of actinidia, discovered by scientists in the 19th century in the wild, but difficult to collect and transport. After selection by New Zealand scientists, these problems were solved. Bald kiwis come in both green and slightly reddish colors. They differ from fluffy kiwi not only in appearance, but also in size: the fruit is three times smaller than its more famous relative.
How to cook
Kiwi can be eaten just like that by cutting the fruit in half and eating the flesh with a spoon.
Kiwi is an indispensable ingredient in many fruit salads and pears.
It is used as an additive in sauces for game and fatty poultry.
Kiwi pulp can be added to pie and muffin filling, mashed potatoes, making fruit soups and sauces for popsicles. Kiwi juice is an excellent base for smoothies.
The only thing that absolutely must not be done is to mix kiwi with fermented milk products: the enzymes contained in kiwi conflict with them. But using the same enzymes, kiwi puree softens a piece of meat. Just do not marinate the meat for more than 10 minutes, this marinade is too aggressive.
Season
Kiwi is sold almost all year round, but from October to March, the fruit is considered the most delicious. At the same time, in different countries, the peak of the harvest occurs at different times.
How to choose and store
Ripe kiwi fruit is slightly crumpled under the fingers. It should be dry, rough, of an even light brown color. Do not take berries that are too soft, they may be fermented. Hard unripe fruits are also not suitable - they are not juicy and sweet enough. However, they can ripen at home.
The kiwi must be free of stains and dents. The skin should be evenly fluffy.
If the fruit is ripe, it has a pleasant fruity aroma. Kiwi smells like strawberries, pineapple, banana and a little melon.
