Kool Kiwi

What fruit has the vitamin C of an orange, the potassium of half a banana, and the fiber of a half-cup of bran flakes?

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That's right. The Chinese gooseberry.

Of course, that's not what we call it. The fruit, which is native to China, was introduced into New Zealand in the early 1900s. In the 1940s it was renamed after that country's national symbol--the plump, flightless kiwi bird.

Slice through the fuzzy brown skin of an egg-sized, 70-calorie kiwifruit to reveal the rich green flesh with tiny, edible black seeds. (New Zealand's producers also market a sweeter, yellow-fleshed, "gold" kiwifruit with a thinner, less-fuzzy skin under the Zespri brand.)

Cut up a couple of kiwis with orange segments, mango slices, and pomegranate seeds. Or make a salad with slices of kiwi, cucumber, avocado, celery, and shredded cooked chicken with buttermilk dressing. Or check out www.zesprikiwi.com/recipes.htm, where you can find everything from Kiwi Pear Smoothies and Kiwifruit Granita to Wild Greens with Kiwi Vinaigrette and Pan-seared Salmon with Kiwifruit Salsa. Or do like we do: eat them plain.

And in February and March, keep your eye out for kiwi berries. The fuzzless, ultra-sweet, grape-size kiwis make great lunchbag stuffers and mouth poppers.

And with this treat, you can pop 'til you drop.

www.zesprikiwi.com

COPYRIGHT 2008 Center for Science in the Public Interest
COPYRIGHT 2008 Gale, Cengage Learning