The Kiwi is a fruit of ovoid shape, of variable size and covered by a thin, brown, slightly hairy skin. It may be 4 to 7.5cm long, and 3.5 to 5cm wide. The weight ranges from 30 to150g, according to variety, climatic conditions, and the culture system. The pulp may be of different green tonalities according to the variety. It is also tender, juicy and bittersweet in flavor. It presents numerous small, edible black seeds. The color of the pulp and the delicate flavor, somehow reminiscent of the grape, strawberry, and pineapple, make Kiwifruit very pleasant. Kiwi is consumed as fresh fruit, in fruit salads, salads or as garnish for different dishes. In order to consume it as fruit, it can be peeled or cut in half and eaten with a spoon. It contains an enzyme called actinidine that degrades proteins, reason why this fruit is used to soften the meat before cooking and thus reduce to the time for baking, rubbing the pulp of the fruit. Moreover, the actinidine prevents the coagulation of the jelly and it is the responsible of the bitter taste of some dairy products when they are mixed with Kiwi. Kiwis are also cooked, tossed with butter, used as a bittersweet sauce or included as garnish for meat dishes. Jam, sherbets, iced drinks, confectionery products and liquors with or without alcohol are also made of this fruit. Kiwis represent an excellent source of vitamin C, almost twice the content of some citruses. They are also rich in minerals like potassium, iron and calcium. Kiwis are found all the year round because the different producing country take over the harvesting periods of each other: from mid May until the end of November, in New Zealand; the rest of the year in the Mediterranean countries, Chile and in California and Australia too. It is a product that has undergone a commercial development in the last few years, thanks to an excellent marketing campaign carried out by New Zealand. Our Kiwi are sourced from growers in Chile, New Zealand, Greece, Italy and Japan. To find out more about our Kiwi please contact sales@crescoproduce.com.
