Gold Kiwi
Estimated Inventory, 23 ct : 4.50
This item was last sold on : 07/18/25
Description/Taste
Gold kiwis are slightly larger than commercial green kiwi varieties, averaging 5.8 to 7.34 centimeters in length and 4.5 to 5.48 centimeters in diameter, and have an oval to ovate shape with blunt, curved ends. The fruits generally weigh around 136 grams and occasionally showcase a distinct dent or beak on one end. Gold kiwis have delicate, thin, smooth, and taut skin, showcasing variegated shades of brown, golden yellow, copper, and bronze with numerous lenticels. The skin is also generally hairless or contains a few fine, downy hairs, depending on the variety. These hairs are weakly adhered to the skin and can be easily removed. Underneath the skin, the flesh is solid, tender, and aqueous, with a succulent, soft consistency. Gold kiwis are known for their golden yellow pigmented flesh. The flesh will vary in coloration, but overall, the variety bears saturated yellow hues speckled with tiny, edible black seeds. Gold kiwis typically have fewer seeds than green and red varieties. Select Gold unblemished kiwis with taut skin and give slightly to the touch. The fruits have high sugar content and moderate acidity, creating a sweet, fruity, and subtly tangy flesh. Some Gold kiwi varieties also have tropical nuances with notes of mangoes, strawberries, and pineapples.
Seasons/Availability
Gold kiwis are generally available in the fall through late spring, with varying seasons in markets worldwide.
Current Facts
Gold kiwi, botanically classified as Actinidia chinensis, is a general descriptor used for several varieties of yellow-fleshed fruits belonging to the Actinidiaceae family. The fruits grow on deciduous climbing vines that scale walls, trellises, and fences and hang from the vines until hand-picked. Gold kiwis are descendants of kiwi varieties native to China, and throughout the 20th century, several varieties have been created showcasing a golden coloring. In commercial markets, Gold kiwis are also known as Yellow kiwis and Golden kiwis, and they are sometimes labeled by their varietal name, including Dori and Soreli kiwis from Italy, Enza Gold, Zespri® Gold™, and Zespri® SunGold™ from New Zealand, and Jintao, also known as Jin Gold, from China. Gold kiwis are sold worldwide and are favored by consumers for their sweeter, less tangy taste. They are also valued for their smoother skin, high nutritional properties, and portability. Gold kiwis are consumed fresh and cooked and are versatile for use in sweet and savory preparations.
Nutritional Value
Gold kiwis are a source of vitamin C to strengthen the immune system and are said to contain more vitamin C than oranges, fiber to regulate the digestive tract, and vitamin E to protect the cells against free radical damage. The fruits also contain as much potassium as a banana to balance fluid levels within the body, vitamin A to maintain healthy organ functioning, vitamin K to assist in faster wound healing, and other nutrients, including magnesium, folate, and calcium.
Applications
Gold kiwis have a sweet, subtly tangy, and sometimes tropical flavor suited for fresh and cooked preparations. The golden-fleshed fruits can be used in any recipe calling for green kiwis, but it is worth noting that they have a less acid-forward flavor, which should be considered if attempting to cut the richness of fats in dairy or meats. Gold kiwis are popularly eaten straight out of hand, and the flesh can be consumed with the skin, sliced and served, or halved and scooped with a spoon. In fresh preparations, Gold kiwis are commonly used in salads, chopped into salsa, or mixed into fruit bowls. The kiwis are also blended and frozen into granitas, ice cream, and sorbet, used as a fresh topping over yogurt and acai bowls, or incorporated into smoothies, lemonade, and cocktails. In addition to raw dishes, Gold kiwis can be simmered into jams and jellies, candied, or used in fillings for various pastries. The fruits can also be added to cakes, tarts, and pies. In savory preparations, kiwis can be used in stews, chutney, and sauces for meat. Gold kiwis pair well with spices such as ginger, turmeric, and cinnamon, fruit including passion fruits, bananas, apples, and strawberries, herbs such as mint, parsley, and cilantro, and nuts including cashews, pine, and macadamias. The fruits ripen quickly and can soften at room temperature for 2 to 3 days. It is recommended to store Gold kiwis in the refrigerator, where ripe fruits will keep for 1 to 2 weeks when stored in a plastic bag.
Ethnic/Cultural Info
Gold kiwis are famous for their entirely edible nature. Most consumers don't associate kiwi skin with being edible due to the green kiwi's fuzzy reputation, but Gold kiwi varieties are smooth, edible, and hairless. Zespri International Limited, a marketing company representing New Zealand kiwi growers, is known for promoting the edible nature of Gold kiwi skin. Zespri® SunGold™ kiwis are one of the most popular Gold kiwis in New Zealand, and research about the fruit's skin is included in several promotional campaigns on their social media platforms. Zespri® SunGold™ kiwi skin is a source of fiber, almost doubling the overall fiber content per serving when consumed with the flesh, which helps aid in digestion. The skin also contains polyphenolics, a group of phytonutrients with antioxidant properties to reduce inflammation and boost the immune system. Consuming kiwi skin allows the fruits to be eaten like an apple, and the kiwis are entirely edible, making them an easy-to-carry, on-the-go, nutritious snack.
Geography/History
Gold kiwis are descendants of kiwi varieties native to China. The fruits were exported from China to research stations worldwide in the 20th century and were notably used in natural kiwi crossings in New Zealand and Italy. In Hubei, China, breeders released a Gold kiwi known as Jintao or Jin Gold, a cultivar developed at the Wuhan Institute of Botany in 2001. In Italy, Soreli was bred in 1997 and released in the early 2000s by the University of Udine, and Dori was developed by the University of Bologna and the University of Udine in 2000. Outside of Europe and Asia, a few Gold kiwi varieties were created in New Zealand, and one cultivar, in particular, forever changed the country's kiwi industry. Gold kiwi cultivars were being bred as early as the 1990s through a partnership between the New Zealand Institute for Plant & Food Research and Zespri International Limited. In 2010, an outbreak of a bacterial vine disease known as Psa-V imported on pollen suddenly hit kiwi crops in the Bay of Plenty in New Zealand and began decimating crops. Within two years, almost half of the kiwi orchards in the country had been infected. During this time, Hort 16A kiwis, also known as Zespri® Gold™ kiwis, were already in commercial cultivation, but the variety was susceptible to the bacterial vine disease and was almost destroyed. Another Gold kiwi variety, known as Zesy002, had not been commercially released, but breeders tested the cultivar and discovered it had resistance to Psa-V. Zesy002 was pushed into full-scale production, and the variety was named Zespri® SunGold™ kiwis. Today Gold kiwis are cultivated worldwide and are sold in fresh markets and through select grocers and distributors.
Featured Restaurants
Restaurants currently purchasing this product as an ingredient for their menu.
| Mission Bay Yacht Club | San Diego CA | 858-488-0501 |
| La Jolla Beach & Tennis Club | San Diego CA | 619-816-8319 |
| Marriott Marina Kitchen | San Diego CA | 619-234-1500 |
| La Jolla Country Club | San Diego CA | 858-454-9601 |
| Berry Good Food Foundation | La Jolla CA | 619-666-1633 |
| Georges at the Cove | San Diego CA | 858-454-4244 |
| Fifty Two Remedies Bar | San Diego CA | 858-707-7016 |
| C 2 C | San Diego CA | 619-972-9345 |
| Trident Coffee | Coronado CA | 619-246-9316 |
| Asti Ristorante | San Diego CA | 619-232-8844 |
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