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Kiwi: Gooseberry is Still a Yang-TaoFruits, Desserts, and Other Sweet Foods
Winter Volume: 2018 Issue: 25(4) page(s): 15
This fruit with its brown fuzzy exterior was only
bright green inside with many small black seeds
within. Originating in China growing wild there
in the Yangtze valley, there are many new kiwi colors
grown commercially there and in Australia, Chili, France,
Italy, Japan, New Zealand, Taiwan, and the United
States. They can now be other colors, light to bright,
and still with fuzzy brown exteriors that now can be tan
to brown. They often hang from branches nailed across
poles like soldiers lined and at attention.
They can be sweet, are still loaded with
dark seeds and Vitamins C, E, and K, also
minerals copper, folate, manganese, and
potassium; they do have lots of fiber. 
Botanically called Actinidia deliciosa,
these fruits have many phytonutrients
that protect cell nuclei and DNA; and
eating them helps staying well because
they have many anti-oxidants, amounts
needed as yet not determined. They
grow on poles with cross-bars giving
them lots of room and air to flourish. TCM practitioners frequently recommend
the tao for children with asthma, their
elders needing heart health, also
folks of all ages needing polyl-phenol
components thought valuable for all. Originally, these fruits were from
China, they went to New Zealand with
missionaries and there were renamed
for New Zealand’s flightless bird,
the kiwi. With enzymes under their
skins, these fruits are excellent meat
tenderizers. New and colorful fruits
include new varieties from light tan,
golden/yellow, to red, and beyond. All
are varieties of the green ones from
China. 
When ripe, these fruits yield to the
touch similar to ripe pears, are best
stored at room temperature, and they
keep that way for at least ten days. We read some call
them ‘Macaque Peaches’ because of their shape and
color, and that local monkeys like to eat them. TCM
medical practitioners recommend them to get rid of
excessive heat, expel extreme thirst, reduce irritability,
regulate Qi, relieve joint pain due to rheumatism, and
assist digestion. The trees or wood cross beams they grow on, as
shown below, can have fragile branches. These grow
to about thirty feet, when ground their roots make
good pesticides. They have fibers useful for making
paper, sap that makes good glue, leaves that most
livestock likes to consume, oils that can add flavor to
many foods, juices to make wine, and seeds popular
for making those oils.
When growing wild, they are hen-egg
size or smaller, and were called yangtaw.
Recently they have a new botanical
name, mihutao. They are also known as
tengli which means ‘vine pear’, and they
grow sweeter if left on their trees longer
and not picked too early. There is a push to improve available
varieties in many countries, so
collecting the wild seeds does increase
hope for the future. Some expect that
will happen at the new kiwi research
center in the Sichuan Province or in
New Zealand, China, or Taiwan. Some believe China has an advantage
as they already have many wild
varieties, but they do not have
expertise in commercialization of this
fruit. If all are willing to cooperate
maybe China’s red kiwi with a honey
flavor will hit the market before any
sets of researchers working together
will. No one is sure as there are
secrecy regulations. Taiwan has also
entered this market. There is a current struggle for
increased kiwi production, no matter
its color. Taiwan does not have any
wild varieties and can not gain claim
to those in China. New Zealand would
love to introduce a new variety but
some say they can not unless they
steal or buy them. Time will tell who
might be the first country to do so. This brown original fuzzy fruit on the exterior has
many black seeds in its interior. Once known as a
gooseberry or a yang taw before renaming it for
today’s market. There is now a huge increase in
sales and consumption after the new nomenclature
and marketing blitz that made this wild and virtually
unknown fruit make meg-millions of money. It originated in China as a wild tree fruit known in their
language as yang taw or mihoutao, also a teng li or
vine pears. It did grow wild and mostly in the Yangtze
valley. Now it is grown there and in also Australia,
France, Italy, New Zealand Taiwan, and several South
American countries. Local Meatballs |
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Ingredients:
1 pound fatty pork, minced
1/4 cup shrimp, minced
3 Shiitake mushrooms, soaked, stems discarded, and minced
1 onion, minced
1arge kiwi, peeled and diced
3 water chestnuts, minced
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon sugar
dash ground black pepper
2 Tablespoons soy sauce
1½ Tablespoons cornstarch
½ pound spinach, blanched and drained well
Preparation:
1. Mix minced pork, shrimp, mushrooms, onion, and
water chestnuts.
2, Shape this mixture into ten balls, and fry them until
they are lightly brown, then cover and simmer them for
five more minutes.
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Sweet and Sour Vegetables |
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Ingredients:
11 large green-fruited kiwi, peeled and cut in large cubes
1 Tablespoon cornstarch
1 large kolhrabi, peeped snd cut into thin strips
1 medium carrot, peeled and cult into thin strips
3 red radishes, not peeled, just cut into thin strips
1 Tablespoon peeled fresh ginger
1 Tablespoon granulated sugar
1 Tablespoon rice vinegar
1 Tablespoon thin soy sauce
3 Tablespoons vegetable oil
1 Tablespoon sesame oil
1 small chili pepper, seeded
Preparation:
1. Mix kwi pieces and cornstarch.
2. Put them and all other ingredients in a bowl and let
them stay in the refrigerator overnight.
2. Before serving, mince the chili pepper and let this
steep on hour, add the other ingredients then drain and
serve; and if too piquant, remove some or all of the chili
pepper pieces.
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