Food - Drink
Most Of The World's Kiwi Comes From This Country
By NATASHA BAILEY
The kiwi not only has an extremely unique appearance, with a fuzzy brown exterior and bright green or yellow flesh underneath, but this fruit has also carried multiple names throughout history. Kiwis are usually associated with New Zealand, but this likable treat originates from a different part of the world entirely.
Kiwis were originally called Chinese gooseberries because they hail from China, and today, China produces more of this fruit than any other country in the world. Unsurprisingly, New Zealand is in second place, while Italy is in third, but China is the true king, having produced
over 2,230 metric tons of kiwis in 2020.
Kiwis have been grown in China for centuries, and were even used for medicinal purposes, but "Chinese gooseberries" became "kiwis" or "kiwifruit" in the 1950's, when New Zealand began marketing the fruit in the U.S. The kiwi bird is New Zealand's official state bird, and "kiwi" is also an informal way to refer to a New Zealander.