An indigenous plant of southern China, where it grows in the wild, the actinidia (Actinidia Chinensis) flourishes in new Zealand, where it was introduced at the beginning of the century. The fruit of this plant is called the kiwi, after the long-beaked, flightless bird that it is the country's national emblem.
Subsequently, the species spread to Great Britain, United States (California), France and, only towards the end of the seventies, to Italy.
KIWI CULTIVATION
Actinidia plantations occupy a total of some 60,000 hectares worldwide, a land area yielding a production of more than 800,000 tons.
As well as Europe (Italy, France, Greece and Spain and New Zealand), the fruit is also cultivated in Chile, the United States, Australia, Japan and Korea.
The world's largest kiwi producer is Italy, where each year an average of 300,000 tons of kiwi are grown on a land area of about 19,000 hectares. The actinidia plant is found all over the country, but 80% of the surface occupied is concentrated in four regions: Latium (6,000 hectares), Emilia-Romagna (4,500), Piedmont (3,000) and Apulia (1,500).
The variety most widely grown (95%) is the Hayward, while the remaining 5% are made up of strains such as Bruno, Koryoku and Top Star.
THE KIWI CALENDAR
JAN
FEB
MAR
APR
MAY
JUN
JUL
AUG
SEP
OCT
NOV
DEC
Harvest period
Market presence
CONSUMPTION AND STORAGE
The kiwi fruit has a strong thrist-quenching, refreshing, diuretic and depurative action; high in vitamin C, it also reinforces the body's natural defences and protects the vascular walls.
In cosmetics, the pulp is used for nourishing packs, while the juice is an excellent cleansing agent and is used as an ingredient in skin lotions.
As well as being eaten fresh, the kiwi can be used in the kitchen to make juices, syrups, fruit salads, tarts, preserves and jams.
The fruit is best stored under refrigeration at 0 C° with 90-95% relative humidity.
NUTRITIONAL AND ENERGY INFORMATION FOR KIWI (100 grams of product)
Edible part
87%
Water
84.6g
Proteins
1.2g
Lipids
0.6g
Glucides
9.0g
Fiber
2.6g
Energy
44kcal
Sodium
5mg
Potassium
400mg
Iron
0.5mg
Calcium
25mg
Phosphorus
70mg
Niacin
0.4mg
Vitamin C
85mg
RECIPE
Kiwi Tart
Ingredients for 6: 350 g flour, 100 g sugar, 1/2 spoon salt, 70 g butter, 2 eggs, 6 kiwis, a little seasonal fruit, half a jar of apricot jam, 1-2 lemons
To make the pastry, mix the flour with the butter and salt and leave it in the refrigerator for about 30 minutes. Cut the kiwi and other fruit into pieces and leave them to soak with the lemon and sugar. Make a gelatine base by melting the jam in bain marie. Remove the pastry from the fridge, cover with a sheet of aluminium foil and bake for 30 minutes. When it is cold, remove the foil and arrange the fruit in the pastry case covering it with the jam gelatine. Garnish with a few slices of kiwi. Leave for one hour before serving.
Hayward kiwis produced in Italy are available on market stalls from November to June; during other months, fruit produced in the Southern Hemisphere are found.
Selected in 1920 in Auckland, New Zealand, this is by far the most widely grown in Italy, because of its good texture and excellent flavour. The only lmiting factors, at least as far as our latitudes are concerned, are its sensitivity to low temperatures and the medium-late harvest period.
CALENDAR OF THE HAYWARD VARIETY
JAN
FEB
MAR
APR
MAY
JUN
JUL
AUG
SEP
OCT
NOV
DEC
Harvest period
Market presence
MINIMUM QUALITY CHARACTERISTICS
Appearance
Sound, clean, residue-free, firm and not wrinkled.
Fully but not excessively ripe.
Colour
Skin: light brown and furry.
Pulp: green with lighter streaks and numerous small black seeds.
Shape
Ellypsoidal, cylindrical
Flavor and texture
Tender, juicy, slightly acidic pulp,
with sweet/sour contrast.
Refraction index
Harvest: 7-7.5
Sale: 9.5
Consumption: >12
Period of sale (Italian produce)
From 10 November tol 15 June
Storage
At a temperature of -1 to 0 C° with 98% relative humidity,
the kiwi can be stored for 4-6 months, although all ethylene must be removed
so as to avoid acceleration of the ripening process.
Handling
The fruit is quite resistent to handling.
Kiwis can be displayed in piles, although a certain care is required in arranging them.
Things to avoid
Do not store the product in areas that are too hot or under-ventilated,as the ethylene build-up in multi-purpose storage areas may cause an acceleration of the ripening process.
Avoid over-handling by customers.
