Kiwifruit

Rare card · No. 25613

Kiwifruit (often shortened to kiwi), or Chinese gooseberry (traditional Chinese: 獼猴桃; simplified Chinese: 猕猴桃; pinyin: míhóutáo), is the edible berry of several species of woody vines in the genus Actinidia. The most common cultivar group of kiwifruit (Actinidia chinensis var. deliciosa 'Hayward') is oval, about the size of a large hen's egg: 5–8 centimetres (2–3 inches) in length and 4.5–5.5 cm (1+3⁄4–2+1⁄4 in) in diameter. Kiwifruit has a thin, fuzzy, fibrous, light brown skin that is tart but edible, and light green or golden flesh that contains rows of tiny black edible seeds. The fruit has a soft texture with a sweet, sour and unique flavour. Kiwifruit is native to central and eastern China, with the first recorded description dating back to the 12th century during the Song dynasty. In the early 20th century, cultivation of kiwifruit spread from China to New Zealand, where the first commercial plantings took place. It gained popularity among British and American servicemen stationed...

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