Ківі

The green kiwifruit, Actinidia chinensis var. deliciosa, is a fruiting vine native to central Southern China, growing naturally at altitudes between 800 and 1,400 metres. Botanically, kiwifruit is a berry. The fruit has a soft texture with a sweet, sour and unique flavour.

Origin and Production

Kiwifruit is native to central and eastern China. As of 2023, China accounted for 55% of the world's total kiwifruit production, making it the largest global producer. In 2006 Italy was the leading producer of kiwifruit in the world, followed by New Zealand, Chile, France, Greece, Japan, and the United States. 'Hayward' is the most commonly available cultivar in stores.

Aroma Chemistry

A total of 172 aroma components were detected in 23 kiwifruit cultivars. Esters, aldehydes and alcohols are the main volatiles in kiwifruit. Ethyl butanoate, (E)-2-hexen-1-ol and (E)-2-hexenal could be considered the core aroma components in kiwifruit, but this still needs further confirmation. Ethyl butanoate, also known as ethyl butyrate, is an ester, and it had the highest ester content, at 7042.01 μg/L in the cultivar Jinhong No. 1. Kiwifruit cultivars with different flesh colors cannot be effectively distinguished by their aroma chemical compositions.

Names

The first known reference to the name Chinese gooseberry came from 1917 in New Zealand, but the name was likely in use before then. By the 1920s, Chinese gooseberry became the standard name for the fruit in English until the 1950s. The name kiwifruit was coined by Jack Turner of Turners & Growers, referencing kiwi, an informal name used to describe New Zealanders. The name was first registered by Turners & Growers on 15 June 1959, and by 1970 all exports from New Zealand used the name kiwifruit.