Kiwifruit, Kiwi Fruit, Kiwi

Many cooks, put off by its overuse and abuse in inappropriate restaurant guises, may not have fully explored it, however. This is a shame, for it can be a truly wonderful fruit, despite its odd exterior, ridiculous name, and some unfortunate press about being an “out” fruit in savvy culinary circles. The size and shape of a large egg, but more cylindrical, the unassuming kiwi looks and tastes like no other fruit. The tart-sweet flesh has a flavor utterly its own, but contains elements of citrus, strawberry, and melon. The soft cream-colored core, surrounded by a halo of poppyseed-like edible seeds, radiates as a sunburst into chartreuse to emerald pulp that is juicy and fine-textured. The very thin brown skin that holds together this plump package is covered with a light, bristly fuzz—hence the monicker that relates it to the hairy flightless bird from New Zealand, the fruit’s main area of cultivation.