Kiwi originally grew in China for centuries, before it was taken to New Zealand in 1904. Back then, they were called Chinese Gooseberries. However, New Zealanders fell hard and fast for this small fruit, with its ultra-tart flavor and plentiful, crunchy seeds. They renamed it for their national bird, the Kiwi, in 1959.
California’s kiwi growers are skilled and patient workers. It can take up to nine years for a kiwi plant to produce fruit. The visual after they spend time in our drying process is stunning. The fruit’s flesh pulls inward, leaving the circle of seeds perfectly intact, bright green coloring and the soft brown circle of the outer skin. There is a fantastic, sour punch to these little crisps. One is never going to be enough.
