table of contents
- origin
- Habitus
- Growing countries
- Where do German goods come from?
Either green or gold, sweet and sour and rich in vitamins and trace elements, it is not for nothing that the kiwi is one of the most popular imported fruits in this country. It is available all year round in German supermarkets. The only question is which country produced the delicious fruit and where German fruit traders get the kiwi fruits from today.
origin
The kiwi fruit has its origin in China, more precisely near the Yangtze River. The areas of Changjiang and Sichuan are considered to be the main cultivation areas. In their country of origin, the fruit is called "Yang Tao", which means something like "macaque peach". However, it is known worldwide under the name of the Chinese gooseberry.
The New Zealanders wanted the Chinese gooseberry to soon become the kiwi. After the fruit became known on the island nation, the inhabitants named the fruit after the bird of the same name, their national symbol. The renaming is probably due to the fact that at that time the Australian Export tariffs for soft fruits were so high that the shrewd traders decided to change the name without further ado thought out.
Habitus
Actinidia deliciosa is the Latin name of the kiwi fruit. It grows on a shrub, the culture ray pen, which is a creeper. Only a few countries are suitable for cultivation, as the kiwi plant places high demands on its location. The shrub needs to grow optimally
- warm summer
- nutrient-rich soils
- mild winter
- no late frosts
- a high rate of precipitation
- a lot of sun
The kiwi fruit itself is an oval berry with a length of about eight centimeters and a width of about five centimeters. The skin is brown and furry, the flesh is deep green in color with a white center around which tiny black seeds are attached. In addition to the green variety, there are also golden kiwi fruits, which are characterized by a very sweet taste.
Note: Kiwis are one of the so-called climacteric types of fruit, as they are harvested when they are not ripe and only develop their sweet taste during transport.
Growing countries
A trip around the world
The Chinese gooseberry grows in Asia, but it is not bred there. Meanwhile it has New Zealand emerged as the world's largest exporter. The teacher Isabel Fraser brought kiwi seeds from an expedition to the Far East to her home country New Zealand. There a breeder began to grow the fruit on a large scale, which he did excellently due to the ideal climatic conditions. The island of Bay of Plenty in the north of New Zealand is still the main cultivation area in the country today.
A little later, the fruit made its way to England, from where it soon became known all over the world. But the shrub also finds suitable climatic conditions for cultivation in some European countries.
- China, the country of origin of the kiwi fruit, annual production equals the remaining yield of all other cultivation nations
- Italy, the main exporter in Europe, the second largest exporter in the world
- New Zealand, gave the kiwi its name
- Iran, is characterized by the high quality of the kiwis
- Greece
- Chile
- France
- Turkey has only recently started cultivating kiwifruit, but the soil conditions are ideal
Where do German goods come from?
Kiwis are available in Germany all year round. It seems obvious that China is the main supplier of the German fruit range, but it is a fallacy. Amazingly, Germany does not even get a proportion of its fruit from the Far East. Most of the fruits sold here come from Italy, less often from Chile and New Zealand. France and Spain also supply the German market. In view of the shorter transport routes, this is certainly more environmentally friendly. However, the harvest does not begin there until September, so that kiwis have to travel further from overseas in winter.
tip: Those who do not want to purchase imported goods can also cultivate their own kiwi fruits in the garden. The prerequisites are, of course, plenty of sun and nutrient-rich soil. A bed facing south is ideal. However, the plant must be brought into the warm in winter, where it can hibernate in a protected place. Unless you choose a frost-resistant cultivation, which can be recognized by the smooth shell. These varieties are mostly easier to care for and less demanding. It should also be noted when growing yourself that only the female kiwi plants bear fruit. The gardener also needs a lot of patience: a kiwi only bears fruit after about five years, which is worth harvesting.
