John Myers
Greenish to brown with a hairy skin – that’s how inconspicuously the kiwi wraps its aromatic inner life. You experience its green miracle when you cut it open, because an appetizing, juicy pulp flashes at you.
Origin
The kiwi has its roots in China and not in New Zealand, as is usually assumed. The first Sami came to the islands with missionaries around 1900. The name Kiwi is a marketing ploy by the islanders, derived from New Zealand’s heraldic animal, the kiwi bird. It was identified in 1959 for the fruit previously known as the “Chinese gooseberry”.
Season
The delicious fruits can be bought all year round. Today, Italy is one of the world’s largest producers of kiwis, followed by New Zealand, Chile and France.
Taste
Slightly sour, the taste of the kiwi is a combination of gooseberry, strawberry and melon.
Use
In the kitchen, the kiwi can be used in more ways than you might think: in addition to eating it raw by spooning it out, many ways of preparing it have evolved. They can be boiled down, candied, dried, steamed, roasted, flambéed, fried, grilled, marinated, or processed into liqueur, fruit juice, and sorbet. However, one thing should be noted: kiwis contain the protein-splitting enzyme actinidin, which makes milk or cream dishes bitter. The remedy is to briefly scald the pulp.
Storage/shelf life
It is best to store the kiwi in the refrigerator and consume the fruit within a few days.
