Kiwi New Zealand Fruit – Kiwifruit Confusion
by Nabewise
kiwi new zealand fruit The word kiwi has become synonymous with kiwifruit to many in the world. Do you know what a kiwi really is? New Zealand is the home of the kiwi, a native flightless bird.
To many people, especially those in the northern hemisphere, a kiwi is a delicious health giving fruit. To people living in New Zealand, kiwi has a totally different meaning.
Kiwi: Did you know the kiwi is a native bird of New Zealand? It is a flightless, nocturnal bird, now endangered. Most New Zealanders only get the chance to view their national bird at zoos or special native bird parks. It lives naturally in the few lots of native bush reserve left but is always in danger of possum traps and hunter’s dogs. Being endangered, it is now protected, and there is a conscious effort by New Zealand’s Conservation Department to increase the numbers.
New Zealanders: When New Zealand tourists travel abroad they are often known as Kiwis. This was once deemed a derogatory term, suggesting that the New Zealand population, living so far away from the rest of the world, were like the flightless bird of their nation. This is no longer true. New Zealanders are widely travelled, and affectionately known world-wide as Kiwis. National sports teams are even identified with the term Kiwi.
Kiwifruit:
This wonderful health giving fruit from New Zealand is not a kiwi! It is a kiwifruit, once known here as a Chinese Gooseberry. Kiwifruit have high Vitamin C and potassium content. They are also useful in reducing asthma in children. A Google search will give you more information about the background and health properties of this fruit.
So, from a New Zealand Kiwi, we hope you continue enjoying our wonderful kiwifruit. We know they are delicious as well as healthy!