Kiwifruit

Also called the "Chinese gooseberry", the kiwifruit is the fruit of the kiwi plant (Order: Ericales; family: Actinidiaceae. The most common variety is Actinidia chinensis) is a large, woody vine native to south-east China, where it is most commonly known as Mi2 hou2 tao2 (猕猴桃 meaning "macaco monkey peach") or Yang2 tao2 (阳桃) and many other names (羊桃 or 毛梨 or 藤梨). The fruit is about the size of a hen's egg, with a hairy, dull-brown exterior. Inside, the flesh is bright green with rows of black, edible seeds. Fruit texture is soft and the flavor is a mix of strawberry and pineapple. Kiwifruit is a rich source of vitamin C.

Cultivation spread from China in the early 20th century. Kiwi was planted in New Zealand in 1906, but commercial planting did not begin in New Zealand until the 1940s. New Zealand is the leading producer of kiwi fruit, followed by France, the United States, Italy, Spain, and Japan.

In 1974 kiwifruit became the internationally accepted name, replacing Chinese gooseberry. In Hong Kong, its Chinese ancestry is forgotten and the fruit is called by its international name (奇异果 kay yee goh meaning "wonder fruit").

There are 94 recorded species of kiwifruit, but only the following are cultivated for their fruit: Actinidia chinensis (also called A. deliciosa), A. arguta (Hardy Kiwi, Arguta, Baby Kiwi or Grape Kiwi - smaller and with green edible skins), A. kolomikta (Kolomicta or Arctic Beauty) and A. polygama (Silver Vine).

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