I tasted the kiwi fruit about a decade ago and loved its taste and texture. And I kinda fell in love with it. As a result, I tried a whole
lot of recipes with it.. After our return from China, I saw kiwi fruit in the markets here,but they cost an arm and a leg!!!
If you thought kiwi fruit originated in New Zealand,then you have to think twice..
This flavourful fruit is almost 700 years old .
The fruit native to China , was not known to the outer world until the period between 1800-1900AD.
It was cultivated in the Chang kiang valley in China.
It is called ‘Yang tao’ in Chinese and it was considered to be a delicacy by the great khans and they were treasured for their bright emerald flesh and wonderful flavour. They also considered it to be an aphrodisiac.
Between 1800-1900 AD the seeds were taken to other places and people around the world tried to cultivate this fruit.
It was known as the ‘Chinese Gooseberry’
When these seeds were taken to New Zealand and cultivated there, the name ‘Chinese Gooseberry’ was replaced by ‘Kiwi fruit’ in honour of their national bird.
There are two varieties of kiwifruit that are very popular- the green and the golden variety.
The nutritional value of this fruit is really astonishing…
It is a nutrient dense fruit and is gaining popularity.
We can call it a ‘heart friendly fruit’ as it rich in Chromium, a mineral that is required for regularizing the heart beat. That’s not all; a couple of kiwi fruits a day can lower the risk of blood clots and reduce the amount of triglycerides in the blood.
It also contains Calcium,Iron,Magnesium and copper. Recently trace mineral Manganese was found to be present in kiwi fruit which is essential for body’s use of protein and food energy.
It is a good source of folic acid.Folic acid is important for expectant mothers to protect their lil ones against birth defects.Folic acid is also needed for reproduction and formation of blood cells and its deficiency can cause anaemia.
Kiwi fruit has twice the amount of Vitamin E.Vit.E,as we all know is an anti-oxidant and can reduce the risk of heart diseases and some form of cancers
It out-beats banana with its potassium content! It is rich in potassium and low in sodium and these two work together to maintain fluid balance in the body.
Recent studies prove that it helps to reduce the symptoms of asthma in children and also helps to protect against it.
Lutein ,another antioxidant is also found in kiwi fruit.This anti oxidant is helpful to reduce the risk of age related macular degeneration,a major reason for vision loss in adults.
Since kiwi fruit has both soluble and insoluble fibre, we get both the benefits at the same time.
Actinidin,an enzyme found in kiwi fruit is said to have tenderizing effect and can be used to marinate meat
Here is what you can do with these fruits-
1. Eat them as they are-peeled or scooped out.
2. Try a tropical fruit salad with kiwi fruit
3. Make a smoothie or a milkshake
4. Use them in baking
5. Prepare cold soups
6. Use your imagination and try out other interesting dishes!!!!