The kiwifruit, oftened shorted to kiwi, is a small citrus-based fruit that derives its name from the kiwi bird that originated from New Zealand. Kiwi is also the nickname to describe someone from New Zealand, and is a symbol to the New Zealand Army Corps which had a picture of the flightless bird in their insignia during World War 1.
The fruit itself is oval shaped and sports a dull brown colour all over its rough skin. After cutting in to a kiwi, you’ll find a bright green colour with several seeds scatted around its centre. This sort of colour is uncommon in a lot of fruits, and is one of the main reasons why the kiwi is so special. The kiwifruit is a great source of both vitamin C and vitamin E, and is therefore extremely good for the human body. An average sized kiwifruit is only 46 calories, meaning you won’t need to worry about your waistline either. The taste of a kiwi is very distinct, and not one that can be pinned down easily. The citrus within the kiwi gives it a sharp kick, but the seeds and centre of the kiwi tone it down a little. If you find the fruit to be too sour, then it’s likely that the fruit needs to be chucked away.
The most common place to find the fruit nowadays are in Italy, New Zealand and Chile. Italy themselves produce 470 metric tons of kiwis every year, with New Zealand producing 360 tons as well. The kiwifruit requires humid conditions to cultivate properly, and therefore requires plenty of careful maintenance to make sure it’s developing properly. Although they thrive on head and humdity when being cultivated, the fruit can ripen a lot faster, meaning that consumers need to make sure they store their kiwifruits in a cool, dry place.