Kiwi originated in China. From there the fruit was introduced to New Zealand about a hundred years ago, where it received the name of the native bird by which it is known everywhere today.
The kiwi fruit is one of the berries of different species of the Chinese radiate pen. The kiwi plant is a hardy climbing shrub that can grow several meters high every year and likes to climb arbours, pergolas and high fences.
Kiwifruit in China
The origin of the climbing kiwi bush is assumed to be in the Yangtze River area, at least the first seeds should have been brought to New Zealand from there at the beginning of the 20th century. The kiwi plant is one of the ancient cultivated plants of China and is still cultivated there today on a large scale. However, the kiwis from China are not exported to Europe.
Kiwi in New Zealand
Introduced to New Zealand as the Chinese gooseberry, the plant found the ideal climatic conditions there so that commercial cultivation developed in the 1960s. Then as now, the New Zealand kiwifruit plantations are located on the North Island in the Bay of Plenty.
The Hayward variety, which was bred in New Zealand, still accounts for the majority of commercially available fruit today. The berry, which was then renamed kiwi fruit, spread first in England and later throughout Europe and gradually became a New Zealand export hit.
Kiwi in the other growing countries
Kiwis are now grown in many subtropical regions of Asia, America and Europe. The leading producer in Europe is Italy. The fruits that are produced in the USA do not reach the European market. In Germany, kiwis are in season all year round. Other suppliers for Germany and Europe are:
- Chile,
- France,
- Greece,
- Spain.
tips and tricks
The kiwi fruits are among the so-called climacteric fruits, which are harvested unripe in the growing countries and continue to ripen during transport and storage.
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