Rascal
Head Chef
Yes, "Chinese Gooseberries" in GB when I first had one in the 1950s. Our greengrocer knew my mother's penchant for trying new things and used to throw the odd free "newbie" into the box of fruit and veg she ordered every week. (The avocado he sent once didn't go down well at all - I now realise that it wasn't ripe enough!).
Kiwi's are available all year round in UK. Apparently they are prized for their "keeping" abilities so travel well. Not expensive either - the ones I bought last week were 4 for a £1 ($1.30-ish) so 5 "bob" each (ie 25pence in modern British parlance). Mind you they were labelled "Produce of Italy" so not exactly "Kiwi".
Very rich in vitamin C. Possible health benefits are said to include maintaining healthy skin tone & texture, reducing blood pressure and preventing heart disease & stroke. No wonder New Zealanders look so healthy!
The funny thing is as I said I grew up with them called Chinese gooseberries. About 15 years ago Chinese came here and stole some kiwi fruit seedlings and smuggled them out of our country and started their own business selling them. The price plummeted but has come back again with the new varieties.
Russ