Known in ancient China as Yang Tao,[1] the kiwifruit earned its place in Chinese culture not just for its flavor, but also its medicinal properties, which science has substantiated in areas such as digestive health and metabolic health.[2] The commercially grown varieties of kiwifruit can be traced to a China and a Church of Scotland mission station in Yichang in 1878. They were referred to as “Chinese gooseberry” before kiwifruit became the moniker.[3,4] Kiwifruit is named in honor of New Zealand’s native bird—the kiwi—by an enterprising food distributor, and its subsequent cultivation grew around the globe. Today, France, Italy, Greece and the United States are some of the biggest producers of kiwifruit.[5] China remains at the very top of the list.[6] Kiwifruit is not only a scrumptious food but is used to tenderize meats due to the compound actinidin.[7] Kiwifruit is both unique and surprising. While it’s small and has …