Organic Kiwi
The kiwi is the fruit of the Actinidia plant (Actinidia spp.). In the genus Actinidia, there are over 60 species with very different characteristics.
The main cultivated species are:
Actinidia delicious from which are derived the principle green fruit varieties.
Actinidia chinensis from which are derived the yellow fruit varieties.
MAIN MARKETED VARIETIES:
Green pulp: Hayward
Yellow pulp: Soreli
ORIGINS:
The plant originates in China even though the development of the culture began in the early 1900s in New Zealand and from there it spread throughout the rest of the world. It was introduced in Italy in 1972.
There are many wild varieties very different from each other, but the cultivated varieties are distinctly fewer, only a few dozen.
THE FRUIT:
Both the fruit of the A. deliciosa and of the A. chinensis is a long, oval berry with robust brown hair covered skin; the pulp is firm with different colors depending on the variety (the former, green and the latter, yellow); the central core of the fruit is the columella from which hundreds of little dark seeds radiate. The seeds are not felt when the fruit is eaten.
FLAVORS:
The pulp is firm, sweet and acidic. The fruit contains an average of 44 calories per 100 grams of weight.
MATURATION:
September 20 – November 10
MARKETING:
October 1 – May 20
HEALTH BENEFITS:
The kiwi is the fruit with the highest vitamin C content in nature, even more than citrus fruits. This vitamin has the fundamental function to defend the body from infectious and viral diseases.
The high sugar content makes the kiwi a real concentrated energy source while the high fiber content makes it helpful in the regulation of the intestine.
The high nutritional properties make it an ideal, complete snack.