ZESPRI® GREEN Kiwifruit, or Hayward kiwi, was introduced to North America in the early 1960s. Originally from China, it was first known as the Chinese Gooseberry. Seeds were carried to New Zealand in 1904, cultivated into a commercial crop, and re-named for New Zealand's national bird, the Kiwi. Flightless, small, and with fuzzy brown feathers, the kiwi bird resembles the kiwifruit in a whimsical way.

With bright, emerald green flesh and tiny black seeds, kiwifruit delighted chefs and consumers alike in the late 1970s and early '80s, when it became a hip garnish and recipe ingredient in top restaurants.

Since then, we've discovered that kiwifruit is not only pretty and flavorful, but that it is a nutritional powerhouse. One serving of Kiwifruit has all the potasssium of a banana, the vitamin C of two oranges and as much fiber as many whole grain cereals.

These merits have earned kiwifruit a permanent place on the shopping lists of people around the world. ZESPRI® GREEN Kiwifruit is grown with both conventional and organic methods and is available in North America May through November.