A nutritious guide to kiwi fruit

On the outside a kiwi fruit looks like a fuzzy brown egg; on the inside its bright green flesh is sprinkled with a ring of small, black seeds. It has a distinctive, somewhat tart flavour with over-tones of fruits and berries. Here's what you need to know about the nutritious fruit.

• The kiwi originated in China and was known as the Chinese gooseberry until New Zealand fruit growers renamed it for their national bird and began exporting it.
• Kiwis were once considered an exotic fruit, but they are now grown in California and have become increasingly plentiful.
• Kiwis are harvested while green and can be kept in cold storage for six to 10 months, making them available for most of the year.
• Ripe kiwis are eaten raw; even the skin can be consumed if it is de-fuzzed.

• A large kiwi provides about 80 milligrams of vitamin C and the fruits are richly endowed with phytochemicals. A large 115 gram (four ounce) fruit contains more than 100 milligrams.
• It also provides a good amount of potassium and pectin, a soluble fibre that helps control blood cholesterol levels.
• Kiwis contain both lutein and zeaxanthin, antioxidants associated with eye health.
• A 115 gram (four ounce) serving has only 70 calories.
• An enzyme (actinidin) that is a natural meat tenderizer is found in kiwi. The fruit can be used as a marinade to tenderize tough meats. Rubbing the meat with a cut kiwi and waiting 30 to 60 minutes before cooking will tenderize the meat without imparting any flavour from the fruit.
• This enzyme also will keep gelatin from setting and will curdle milk and cream; these effects can be prevented by poaching the fruit beforehand.
• Don't overcook the fruit, however; it quickly turns to mush.
• To preserve the super-high vitamin C content in these fuzzy green fruits, it is best to eat them raw.

Kiwis are healthy fruits that taste great! Keep these benefits in mind and try adding them to your diet today.