Katikati Kiwifruit

Just like grape vines, the new stock
bears the fruit!

Kiwifruit vines coming into bud.

We have just returned from a few days in a small town called Katikati, which is situated in the Bay of Plenty.   This is part of the area where the world-wide kiwifruit industry was born and,  where once there were rows and rows of citrus trees, there are now thousands of hectares  of the above mentioned kiwifruit and thousands of avocado trees. Unfortunately, the bacterial infection known as PSA has been discovered a few miles to the South, and the fear is that it will move here,  to devastate thousands of kiwifruit plants, destroying the livelihoods of many local people who are preparing for the worst over the next few months.

In the meantime, we relaxed, like the' townies' we are and enjoyed the beautiful scenery and the company of good friends, in what must surely be one of the most fertile corners of the planet.

Kiwifruit.

Pollination is reliant on bees, so
everyone grows flowers to keep
the local hives happy all year round.

Kiwifruit used to be called Chinese Gooseberries when I was young.  I have no idea why the Chinese came into it, but I imagine the hairy skin was vaguely reminiscent of that  of the gooseberries of that age. Very vaguely,  I must say!  Whatever, nearly everyone had a vine growing wildly somewhere down the bottom of the garden.  Now they are far more tamed and good-looking and we buy the fruit with the politically correct name in the market.  I imagine that around the world, many use the fruit for its glorious green, for decoration, but it has fabulous properties that often go unsung.       

Apart from its sweet/tart flavour,  it is well known for its high Vitamin C content and for its meat tenderizing properties.  It's high fibre content helps in other areas,  and research shows that eating 2 or 3 a day has the same effect on our blood  as taking our daily aspirin. There are many other positives,  (and negatives) too,  worth knowing about and a quick glance at Wikipedia or the Zespri  (the brand-name for NZ kiwifruit) site is quite fascinating.  There are some great recipes on Zespri, our particular favourites being the Mediterranean Lamb Cutlets with Kiwifruit Salsa   and the Pan-roasted Chicken Breast with Fresh Kiwifruit Relish.  Both have moderate calorie counts and can easily be modified further. Delicious!