Kiwi fruit
Actinidiaceae
Actinidia deliciosa
Jessica Rosin
Ethnobotany Presentation
4/3/13
History of cultivation
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First appeared in Northern China, in the
Yangtze River valley.
Introduced to the western world in the
beginning of the 20th century
Missionaries from China brought them to New
Zealand
1952 Kiwifruits were exported to New England
1958 the first kiwifruits were exported to
California
1970 the first crop of kiwifruits were
successfully harvested in California
Major Producers
The top four producers in 2000 were Italy (355,000
tons), New Zealand (229,068 tons), Chile (155,000
tons) and France (76,900). Other key producers
include Greece, Spain and the United States.
Features of Cultivation
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Vigorous Plant,
should be planted 34m apart
Produce fruit 3-4
years after planting
Sunny position
Grow best in fertile,
well drained, slightly
acidic soil rich in
organic matter.
Botanical Description
PLANT
 Trunk 8in in diameter of a
mature plantings
 Two Types of shoots:
Terminating/Non Terminating
FLOWER
 1-2 inch diameter
 Whorl of many stamens
surrounds the ovary
 dioecious or unisexual
FRUIT
 Fibrous Dull brown-green skin
 Green Flesh with tiny black
edible seeds.
 Green Flesh = due to
chlorophyll, does not degrade
during ripening!
Plant uses
 Culinary
 Wine
 Meat
Tenderizer
 Medicinal
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New Zealand docs prescribe for asthma
and respiratory problems
May delay onset of macular degeneration
May protect DNA from oxidation (prevent
early aging)
Nutritional Facts
Fresh
Canned
Frozen
Calories
66
Moisture
81.2 g
73.0 g
66
80.7 g
Protein
0.79 g
0.89 g
0.95 g
Fat
0.07 g
0.06 g
0.08 g
Carbohydrates
17.5 g
25.5 g
17.6 g
Ash
0.45 g
0.45 g
0.53 g
Calcium
16 mg
23 mg
18 mg
Iron
0.51 mg
0.40 mg
0.51 mg
Magnesium
30 mg
30 mg
27 mg
Phosphorus
64 mg
48 mg
67 mg
Thiamine
0.02 mg
0.02 mg
0.01 mg
Niacin
0.50 mg
0.40 mg
0.22 mg
Riboflavin
0.05 mg
0.02 mg
0.03 mg
Vitamin A
175 I.U.
155 I.U.
117 I.U.
Ascorbic Acid
105 mg
103 mg
218 mg
(natural and
added by
 There is twice the amount of Vitamin C in a kiwi then in an orange.
 Kiwi has as much K+ as a banana
pre-dip)
Fun Facts
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Kiwi Bird:
found only in
New Zealand. This shy
flightless, semi-nocturnal
bird is rarely visible in its
scrub brush and dark
forest home.
Buy kiwi fruit slightly green and put kiwis in a
brown paper bag with an apple to
accelerate ripening.
The young leaves of the plant can be used in
times of famine as they are highly nutritious.
The kiwifruit skin is completely edible and
makes this nutrient dense fruit even more
nutritious!
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Recent study shows that eating the skin triples
the fiber intake compared to merely eating the
flesh. And by not peeling the skin, you preserve
much of the Vitamin C content as well.
Sources
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http://blog.lib.umn.edu/michaels/thursaft/2009/09/botanicalfruit.html#comments
http://www.fruit-crops.com/kiwifruit-actinidia-deliciosa-a-chev/
http://kiwi-fruit.info/kiwi-fruit/History+of+Kiwi+Fruit
http://www.fas.usda.gov/htp/Hort_Circular/2002/0203/Stats/Internet/KIWI_FEA.pdf
http://apps.rhs.org.uk/advicesearch/profile.aspx?pid=600
http://www.ehow.com/info_8189946_uses-kiwi-fruit.html
http://www.aitc.ca/bc/uploads/sfvnp/2010%20Jan%20ProdInfo
%20KIWI.pdf