Kiwi, (Actinidia deliciosa), also called kiwifruit or Chinese gooseberry, woody vine and edible fruit of the family Actinidiaceae. The plant is native to mainland China and Taiwan and is also grown commercially in New Zealand and California. The fruit has a slightly acid taste and can be eaten raw or cooked.
What do you call a Chinese gooseberry?
As the name suggests, kiwifruit has its roots in China. ... From there stemmed several other colloquial names for the Chinese gooseberry: monkey peach, macaque pear, vine pear, sun peach and wood berry. (In true cyclical fashion, the name strange fruit has recently become fairly common in Taiwan and Hong Kong.
Why are Kiwis called Kiwis?
Why are New Zealanders called Kiwis? The name ‘kiwi’ comes from the curious little flightless bird that is unique to New Zealand . Māori people have always held the kiwi bird in high regard. Their feathers were used to make ‘kahu kiwi’, valuable cloaks worn by tribal chiefs.
Is kiwi a brand name?
Its Chinese roots were also erased because of the conflicts between the US and China during the height of the Cold War. The name was changed to kiwifruit in 1959 by Auckland fruit-packing company Turner & Growers and kiwifruit , or kiwi for short, became the standard name in the international horticultural industry.
What does Chinese gooseberry mean?
Chinese gooseberry in American English
noun. 1. a climbing shrub, Actinidia chinensis , native to China and cultivated commercially in New Zealand for its edible fruit. 2. the egg-sized, edible berry of this shrub, having fuzzy brownish skin and slightly tart green flesh; kiwi.
Why are they called gooseberries?
It comes from the Old Norman/Middle English groses or grosier, the old word for – wait for it – grosielle, the French for redcurrant, so in effect we called gooseberries redcurrantberries! All of these words come from the Frankish root krûsil which means ‘crisp berry’, and the gooseberry certainly is that.
Which came first kiwi fruit or bird?
Kiwi, first known as Yang Tao , originated in China over 700 years ago. ... For marketing reasons, the United States renamed the fruit after the kiwi bird because the brown skin of the fruit is similar to that of the feathers of the kiwi bird (New Zealand’s national bird).
Is it OK to call a New Zealander a kiwi?
“ Calling a New Zealander a ‘Kiwi’ is not of itself offensive . ‘Kiwi’ is not an insult,” said Judge Leonie Farrell. She added that the word was often viewed as a “term of endearment”. It is derived from the name of a flightless bird native to the country.
What do you call a native New Zealander?
Māori are the tangata whenua, the indigenous people, of New Zealand. They came here more than 1000 years ago from their mythical Polynesian homeland of Hawaiki. Today, one in seven New Zealanders identify as Māori. Their history, language and traditions are central to New Zealand’s identity.
What is a kiwi fruit a cross between?
Kiwifruit’s fuzzy brown exterior belies its emerald-green interior, which offers a refreshing flavor that’s a cross between strawberry and pineapple . The smooth flesh is dotted with edible black seeds that provide a crunchy textural contrast. Kiwifruits are nutrient-rich, too.
Can you eat the skin of a kiwi?
Yes, you can eat the skin of a kiwi ! Wash it first, like you would any fruit. ... People don’t think you can eat the skin of green kiwifruit. Its bright green insides might be inviting, but on the outside, it looks fibrous, dull brown, fuzzy, and well...
Is Purple kiwi real?
Purple or Red Kiwi is a deciduous climbing vine with hairless stems and green leaves that are bluish-green on the underside. The vines are either male or female and both are needed to produce fruit. ... While the fruit is edible, it is not commercially available, due to its short shelf life. This vine is not frost hardy.
What’s another name for gooseberry?
The physalis fruit is also known as the cape gooseberry, goldenberry or ground cherry.
Are Chinese gooseberries and kiwi fruit the same thing?
Despite the name, kiwifruit are not native to New Zealand. ... People thought the fruit had a gooseberry flavour and began to call it the Chinese gooseberry. It is not related to the Grossulariaceae family to which gooseberries belong. New Zealand began exporting the fruit to the US in the 1950s.
