5/1/06 | Kiwi Fruit
[ Currently Eating: Spicy Fish With Basil ]
Sorry folks, my plans for Cheap Eats World Domination have been left by the wayside lately. I’ve been meaning to make a lot more posts per week, but I’ve been sidelined by some serious illness the past 2 weeks.
Anyhow, here today for your enjoyment are a picture of a Kiwi Fruit cut in half that I took about 2 months ago. Yes, I know that Kiwis aren’t what you’d normally consider Cheap Eats. But I actually got these for free. Ah.. nothing quite beats free food.
So anyhow, kiwifruit shouldn’t be confused with those wingless birds in New Zealand, nor the ton of other New Zealand - centric things it can stand for (I think New Zealanders are probably rather pissed about it being called simply “Kiwi” here in the States). This is a fruit that looks like a brown fuzzy egg on the outside with green fruit on the inside with rows of black seeds.
Interestingly enough, according to Wikipedia the kiwi fruit is actually native to China although it is much less popular there. Though the one shown is a standard brown on the outside, green on the inside kiwifruit, I’ve had ones from the Chinese supermarket that are yellow on the inside which are called Golden Kiwifruit. I’m not too fond of these as they are much more sugary sweet… the tartness of the green kiwifruit is what attracts me to it in the first place.
I also LIKE those edible tiny black crunchy seeds on the inside… sort of reminds me of strawberry seeds but more crunchy. I used to peel the kiwifruit completely, and then slice, but if I’m in a hurry and the fruit is ripe enough, I just take a spoon and scoop it out.
Kiwifruit isn’t exactly cheap… you sort of just have to watch for sales. Or visit ethnic supermarkets where they’re much cheaper. But I think it’s a great alternative to getting your standard supermarket fruits, so I’m always looking out for it.
Price: Free
Cheap Eats Score: 6/10
May 1st, 2006 at 4:10 pm
Glad you’re back!
What’s cheap when it comes to kiwi? I don’t usually pick them unless they’re 3 for a buck or less.
While we’re on the subject, what can you do with kiwi, besides just cutting them up and eating them alone or in a fruit salad?
May 1st, 2006 at 4:49 pm
hi cybele! Well, those are good questions. I also stick by the 3 for a dollar rule… any more and I don’t bother. As for what else to use them on, myself I only eat them alone. However, two of the things i’ve had with is in Jello and as a topping on cake (particularly the cakes and mini-tarts from Chinese bakeries).
May 2nd, 2006 at 1:59 am
Yeah, as a NZer, I was completely freaked out the first time I went to the States and my hosts talked about loving the taste of ‘Kiwis’.
May 5th, 2006 at 8:31 am
You mean there’s something we get here in the Midwest cheaper? YAY! They are often on sale around Chicagoland for $.10 each.
They are also lovely as a topping on tarts. And I have put them in smoothies too. They make a it beautiful color, and I don’t mind the seeds.
Glad you’re feeling better, Editor.
May 5th, 2006 at 8:55 am
amber - we had a friend from NZ stay with us once… I remember we drove by 7-11 and she said, “hey there’s one of those seeven leevens…” Is it true there aren’t 7-11 stores there, or are there just not very many?
peggasus - 10 cents is mighty cheap eats… nice! I also have seen them in drinks and smoothies as well.
May 22nd, 2006 at 7:56 pm
I’ve always thought kiwi was so pretty, but have never actually taken the plunge and tried any. This summer I’m living dangerously, and trying every fruit and veggie I can get my hands on. I usually see them paired with strawberries, and I usually sweeten strawberries just a bit, do kiwis need to be sweetened too?
May 24th, 2006 at 9:21 am
cf - kiwifruit can be rather tangy (the golden variety is much sweeter and perfumey tasting), but I’ve never heard of them sweetened. I think because it’s often mixed with sweeter things (like cake, jello, strawberries) they let the other item provide the sweet.
June 16th, 2006 at 9:01 pm
No 7-11’s at all… except in the movies! We just have locally owned shops (same stuff as a 7-11, unbranded though), which are called dairies.
June 19th, 2006 at 2:52 pm
amber - we do have a few locally owned shops too. not very many though. i think over here, it is mostly “liquor stores” along with 7-11s, AmPM minimarts, and Circle Ks. There is an actual “dairy” near where i used to live too, where they’d actually sell mostly milk.
August 19th, 2006 at 11:16 am
Mmm… kiwi’s. I just learned in March that you can eat the kiwi-skin - it provides a nice tart contrast to the sweet inside. I slice off the ends and eat away. I never cook with kiwis because I always just eat them as is. Lately i’ve been picking them up 6 for 99 cents.
September 6th, 2006 at 3:57 am
I used to live in NZ and I don’t remember them being annoyed by the Kiwi term, they actually refered to themselves as that. Want to know how we ate Kiwis? Cut them in half and eat them with a spoon. I still do it today. Yum!
November 9th, 2009 at 7:05 pm
i have lived in nz all my life and i’ve never ever ever heard people call them ‘kiwis’… always ‘kiwifruit’!!
golden kiwi fruit’s my favourite
put greenkiwifruit on pavalova cake.