These things should have stayed Down Under, where they belong
A food item that has slipped out of vogue to a degree – a dying trend about which I am quite happy – is kiwi fruit. I am happy about that because back in the 1980s this rather undelightful fuzzy sphere of garish green hue was all the rage. You couldn’t sit down to a meal without having kiwi imposed upon you. Oh, maybe I exaggerate, but not much.
Not content to impose the verdancy of this cousin of the gooseberry (I don’t care much for gooseberries either, if truth be known) on an unsuspecting diner in the dessert realm, some even took to using it as a side garnish for oh, scrambled eggs or omelets, for example. That’s what a person wants, all right, a splash of bright green at brekkie time.
As for desserts, I once knew a woman who ruined (for me) a perfectly decent Pavlova (one of my favorites) by cluttering the top with kiwi amidst the delightful strawberries. Sorry, the two fruits don’t equate. Strawberries are ‘Beamers’, kiwis are Yugos.
My basic point about kiwis is, despite the fact they can look pretty, is that they have little to recommend in terms of taste. I actually find they range from bland to downright disagreeable. The texture is also less than enchanting. And, they have to be peeled. I don’t like fruit that makes you work for it. Bananas have to be peeled, but that is an easy task. Kiwis are more in the realm of pomegranates, in which the demands on the potential consumer. to get to the fruit are simply too labor-intensive.
I found that women tended to like kiwis more than men did. But, there are gender distinctions about food. More females are vegetarian or vegan, for example. Women also think zucchini is just a yummy thing, whereas men, with the exception of four or five guys somewhere, detest them. But, I only know that if ever a kiwi found its way into our house, I didn’t bring it in.
But, as irritating as I found the fruit, the kiwi plant is not only remarkably ugly from an esthetic perspective, it’s also highly destructive. Our next door neighbor had a kiwi that methodically pulled our fence apart over the years. We didn’t realize that until the old neighbors moved. The purchasers didn’t like the esthetics of the plant (people of very good taste, they are), so they began to do away with it. Unfortunately, the wood fence fell to their feet as they carried out the task. The kiwi destroyed the fence, but the vines had actually been holding it together.
So, in that diatribe, I certainly hope I didn’t offend any New Zealand readers. That was not my intention. I love New Zealanders. My first steady girlfriend was a New Zealander, and lamb with mint sauce is a particular favorite of mine. So, sorry about the kiwi fruit thing. It just didn’t work for me.
Not content to impose the verdancy of this cousin of the gooseberry (I don’t care much for gooseberries either, if truth be known) on an unsuspecting diner in the dessert realm, some even took to using it as a side garnish for oh, scrambled eggs or omelets, for example. That’s what a person wants, all right, a splash of bright green at brekkie time.
As for desserts, I once knew a woman who ruined (for me) a perfectly decent Pavlova (one of my favorites) by cluttering the top with kiwi amidst the delightful strawberries. Sorry, the two fruits don’t equate. Strawberries are ‘Beamers’, kiwis are Yugos.
My basic point about kiwis is, despite the fact they can look pretty, is that they have little to recommend in terms of taste. I actually find they range from bland to downright disagreeable. The texture is also less than enchanting. And, they have to be peeled. I don’t like fruit that makes you work for it. Bananas have to be peeled, but that is an easy task. Kiwis are more in the realm of pomegranates, in which the demands on the potential consumer. to get to the fruit are simply too labor-intensive.
I found that women tended to like kiwis more than men did. But, there are gender distinctions about food. More females are vegetarian or vegan, for example. Women also think zucchini is just a yummy thing, whereas men, with the exception of four or five guys somewhere, detest them. But, I only know that if ever a kiwi found its way into our house, I didn’t bring it in.
But, as irritating as I found the fruit, the kiwi plant is not only remarkably ugly from an esthetic perspective, it’s also highly destructive. Our next door neighbor had a kiwi that methodically pulled our fence apart over the years. We didn’t realize that until the old neighbors moved. The purchasers didn’t like the esthetics of the plant (people of very good taste, they are), so they began to do away with it. Unfortunately, the wood fence fell to their feet as they carried out the task. The kiwi destroyed the fence, but the vines had actually been holding it together.
So, in that diatribe, I certainly hope I didn’t offend any New Zealand readers. That was not my intention. I love New Zealanders. My first steady girlfriend was a New Zealander, and lamb with mint sauce is a particular favorite of mine. So, sorry about the kiwi fruit thing. It just didn’t work for me.
Labels: Chinese Gooseberry, kiwi fruit, nasty fruit
posted by Ian Lidster at
4:44 PM
13 Comments:
No offense taken. I like the fruit myself, & as I come from the small town whose claim to fame, is KiwiFruit Capital of the world, I grew up with them.
They are a nuisance to peel, & GOM has been known so suffer allergic reaction to the fuzzy parts, or hairs, so we dont generally have them on or in food.
Have you ever tasted Fejoas? We had a whole hedge of them. They are smooth skinned & an unattractive green colour with white to cream flesh. They taste rather like a fruit salad, even though they dont look too inviting. Best eaten raw, & as a kid, I got so sick of them, it took years to like them again.
Label: nasty fruit. Don't hold back now. Tell us what you really think.
Each to his own taste, but I quite like them. I like that they are tart and I don't mind the green colour. I've even been known to eat them for breakfast.
It's true that everyone went over the top with them when they first came here, but now they are just a staple fruit.
A fruit that I wish would come here from down-under is passion fruit. I do miss them, although I have seen them on occasion at great expense. In my opinion it's just what a good Pavlova needs to finish it off or on top of a trifle made with peaches but not strawberries.
regards
jmb
I quite like kiwis, but I really love gooseberries, mum used to have a gb bush and they were gorgeous!!
count me in with meggie, jmb and ht, i love em, and gooseberries... but then, i have weird tastebuds and preferences
for one, i can't stand cilantro, tastes like soap... ugh!
not heard of fejoas, but they sound like something i'd enjoy
that's the beauty of life, we differ in some things/preferences, yet find ways to get along ;) lol
I luv Kiwi! ..And it's soft enough to chew with my braces..Except the black seeds get stuck inbtween.
I love a good rant. But I also enjoy a *good* (notice the adjective) kiwi. Bad kiwi = bad experience. But since I'm not a big fruit fan, my body takes what I'll give it. But the plant story? Wow. Now an experience like that would jade anyone for sure.
I'm with laughing wolf on the icky taste of cilantro. But kiwis, well, they're all right. Anything to broaden the Western palate beyond bananas, apples and oranges!
Long ago, I lived in Hawaii, and that was a fruit-lover's dream: mangoes, coconuts, bananas,papayas, guavas, passion fruit and mountain apples, all available in copious amounts and for free, if one knew where to look.
I'm a vegetarian and like most fruit. Kiwi has large stores of Vitamin C and also antioxidant properties.
I buy them occasionally and never have to share them because Flip feels as you do.
Best way to eat a kiwi is like an egg... slice off the top then scoop the fruit out with a spoon... so easy and no mess
what I like about the Kiwi is the grit feel in the mouth they give you, as if you had a picnic at the beach
I'm not big on kiwi either. It doesn't taste like much of anything and it looks like donkey balls.
i absolutely abhor kiwi though it does have some good nutritional value.
Kiwi fruit is a bit like haggis. Eat in moderation and not too often. Sally is right about how to eat it. Here they provide multipurpose knife spoons, which you can use to cut it and then scoop it.
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