A Kiwi History
It is also known as Chinese gooseberry and Yang Tao. The small, oval fruit has a thin brownish-green skin with a fuzzy surface. The flesh, which is a distinctive green with tiny purplish seeds surrounding a white core may be eaten raw or cooked.
The history of the kiwi fruit began in the Chang Kiang Valley of China. Called Yang Tao, it was considered a delicacy by the great Khans who relished the fruit's brilliant flavor and emerald-green color. Knowledge of the fruit expanded to other countries in the mid 1800s to 1900s.
Plants were first exported from China to the United States in 1904, and seeds were brought to New Zealand in 1906. Kiwi fruit is available worldwide today and is produced in New Zealand, the United States, Italy, Japan, Greece, France, Spain, Australia and Chile.