There are so many delicious fruits to choose to eat. Many enjoy strawberries. Some enjoy apples. Others love pineapple. One of our underrate favorites is the kiwi! Originating in China, the kiwi is a fruit with amazing agricultural, botanical and economic interest This fruit is grown and distributed throughout the majority of the plant due to its high nutritional value and therapeutic benefits in relation to health. Although there are many different types of kiwi, the A. deliciosa Hayward cultivar is the most popular and most commercially marketed. If you’re not familiar with the scientific name, you’d recognize it as the standard kiwi with a fuzzy brown exterior and a neon green interior. Are you interested in learning more about this fruit? Read below for some kiwi fruit wall art facts!
Green is Good
- Are you health minded? Are you on the lookout for really healthy fruits and vegetables? Kiwis are the perfect treat! An average sized kiwi, weighing about 2.7 oz., has only 46 calories! If you prefer to calculate food in cups, then one cup of kiwi has only 108 calories. In addition to that kiwi also contains 0.09 ounces of dietary fiber, which is an important part of a healthy digestive system.
- As previously stated, kiwis are very low in calories and high on many nutritious substances. Kiwis are also filled with tons of vitamins! If you’re not familiar with why vitamins are important, we’ll tell you why. Vitamins are organic compounds that sustain living beings; we need them to live! A cup of kiwi contains vitamin A, vitamin C, vitamin E, vitamin K, thiamin, riboflavin, niacin, folate, pantothenic acid and vitamin B6!
- To continue with discussing the healthfulness of kiwi, it is important to recognize the fact that even though kiwis contain lots of carbs, they are still a great dietary choice. Wondering why? They have a low glycemic index! In other words, eating a kiwi and all of its sugar does not cause a strong insulin rush to your body. Many other fruits high in sugar do cause one, which leads to your body storing fat.
- Did you know that there are many types of kiwi? Some are very similar to the ordinary kiwi, while others are very different. That said, all kiwi belongs to the same genus called Actinidia, which contains 60 different kiwi species. The most common kiwi is A. deliciosa, which is the common fuzzy kiwi. Other species are the golden kiwi, the Chinese egg gooseberry, the baby kiwi, the arctic kiwi, the red kiwi, the silver vine kiwi, and the purple kiwi.
- As previously stated, kiwis originated in China. Specifically, the north-central and eastern parts of the country. After a long period of only being cultivated there, kiwi was introduced to New Zealand in the 20th century. Here, kiwi was farmed commercially for the first time. Kiwis quickly became popular with the American soldiers that were stationed in New Zealand during WWII. Kiwis were referred to as Chinese gooseberries back then, but were rebranded in 1962 amongst farmers as kiwis to give them mass appeal. Read below for more kiwi fruit wall art facts.
Crazy for Kiwi
- Kiwi is celebrated for its high vitamin content, which makes it one of the most nutritionally dense fruits on Earth. That said, there are some elements about kiwi that can occasionally make them difficult. Did you know they contain a protein-dissolving enzyme called actinidain? This enzyme is often used as a meat tenderizer. Additionally, this enzyme quickly breaks down dairy and gelatin products if the fruit is added to either of these ingredients while raw. If you want to add kiwi to dairy or gelatin, make sure to cook it at low heat for a while. This stops the enzyme from working!
- Want to know how to select a good kiwi at the market? Simply hold it between your thumb and forefinger and apply pressure. Sweet kiwis will gently yield to the pressure and leave an indentation where your fingers are. To store kiwis, it is best leave them at room temperature for optimal flavor and texture.
- Speaking of substances inside of kiwi, did you know there is one in particular that makes this fruit excellent for pregnant women? Kiwi contains something called folic acid, which is needed to facilitate brain growth and cognitive development in children. Pregnant women often take folic acid as a supplement during pregnancy, so eating kiwis for an additional source of folic acid is a great idea!
- Are you wondering why these fruits were named kiwis instead of keeping the name Chinese gooseberries? As previously stated, New Zealand farmers thought they would sell better if they didn’t have such an exotic sounding name. Kiwis are a small, flightless bird which are native to New Zealand. Farmers simply gave this fruit their names because they’re an animal that the populace was familiar with!
- Did you know that kiwi is a fruit that many are allergic to? It contains high amounts of substances called actinidin and calcium oxalate. Both substances cause allergic reactions! Don’t fret though, the reactions kiwi causes aren’t life threatening. Interestingly enough, if you’re allergic to latex you’re probably allergic to kiwi as well! Weird, fact, isn’t it? Thanks for reading these kiwi fruit wall art facts!
Conclusion
Want an additional kiwi fact? Well, they sleep! That’s right. Kiwi need their beauty rest in the periods between which fruit is grown. In fact, kiwi vines go into a dormant period every year between December and March. So now that you know so much about kiwi, are you going to go out and get some to eat? Just remember: don’t mix them with dairy! Thanks for reading these kiwi fruit wall art facts.