LOOKING IN THE SQUARE

Green kiwifruit on the vine

Kiwifruit.

The fruit, originally called Chinese gooseberries, were smaller fruit and were imported from China about the middle of last century. New Zealand horticulturists developed the plant and made them produce larger fruit. The green Kiwifruit, or 'kiwi' as it is commonly called in other countries is now also grown in Italy and a couple of other countries, but our horticulturists have now developed two other cultivars, one which has yellow fruit and is sweeter than the green one, and another variety which is much smaller and is more of a cocktail fruit and is more expensive.

In New Zealand home-grown kiwifuit is available for about six months. After that the industry imports Italian kiwifruit to give continuos supply to our market. Ours come on-stream about April.

To distinguish New Zealand kiwifruit from that of other countries they have been branded with a trade name - 'Zespri.' See their website here: http://www.zespri.com/zespri-kiwifruit.html