Kiwifruit

Kiwifruit, from Actinidia deliciosa (green) or A. chinensis (gold/yellow cultivars), is an oval brown-skinned fruit with bright green (or golden) flesh, a ring of tiny black edible seeds and a lighter core. It is exceptionally rich in vitamin C — often exceeding citrus per 100 g — and also supplies vitamin K, folate, potassium and dietary fibre. Eaten fresh, added to fruit salads or used as a dessert topping, it is also familiar to processors for its actinidin enzyme, a cysteine protease which tenderises meat and can prevent gelatin setting — a consideration in desserts. Harvest maturity, ethylene-managed ripening and cold storage (near 0°C) control its climacteric ripening and long market life.