In 2018, New Zealand sold 149 million trays of kiwifruit. Although this fruit is now their largest horticultural export, kiwifruit vines did not always grow in New Zealand soil.
In 1904, Mary Isabel Fraser returned home from China where she was visiting her sister, a missionary. She brought some unfamiliar seeds back with her. A local nurseryman, Alexander Allison, planted them. He tended the plants for four years, before they finally fruited in 1910.
People thought they tasted like gooseberries. Because the seeds originated from China, they were dubbed the Chinese gooseberry.
Other nurserymen started growing them. By the 1920s, Chinese gooseberry plants were available at several nurseries. Although they remained a novelty for the next two decades, they caught the eye of horticulturists.
One horticulturist, Hayward Wright, chose plants from the original seeds. They produced large fruit with excellent flavor, so he propagated them by growing more plants from those he’d first chosen. In 1956, they were named after him. The Hayward variety is still the favorite for kiwifruit export.
FAST FACTS
»Kiwifruit vines can grow up to 33 feet long. That’s about the height of a three-story house.
»Kiwifruit can be eaten raw or cooked. Even the fuzzy skin is edible.
Esta historia es de la edición November/December 2020 de Faces - The Magazine of People, Places and Cultures for Kids.
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Esta historia es de la edición November/December 2020 de Faces - The Magazine of People, Places and Cultures for Kids.
Comience su prueba gratuita de Magzter GOLD de 7 días para acceder a miles de historias premium seleccionadas y a más de 9,000 revistas y periódicos.
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Animal Central
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31 Countries Biosphere
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THE LEGEND OF THE QUETZAL BIRD
A Mayan Tale retold by Pat Betteley illustrated by Amanda Shepherd
Semana Santa GUATEMALA'S HOLY WEEK
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ME OH-MAYA!
The Maya are groups of people who live in parts of Mexico, Honduras, and Guatemala. Their ancestors created a great society. At its peak, from 600-900 C.E., the Maya civilization was more advanced than its neighbors in the Americas.
Playing Games Honduras-style
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LIVING A LONG LIFE IN THE Blue Zone
Most people would like to live as long a life as possible. No one really knows why some people live longer than others, but did you know that where you live can play a big part in how many years you’ll be alive? If you live in a Blue Zone, chances are that you will live much longer than people in other parts of the world.
ATTENTION WORLD: Belize Saves Their Coral Reef
Sea turtles float in clear waters, colorful corals hug the ocean floor, and aquatic animals glide among the mangrove roots. Welcome to the Belize Barrier Reef Reserve System, the second-largest coral reef in the world (Australia’s Great Barrier Reef is number one). Several years ago, this reef was in crisis, heading toward destruction. But the people of Belize fought back to save their reef’s health.
The Panama Canal
The Panama Canal is a 51-mile long canal that connects the Atlantic and Pacific oceans.
This is Central America!
It’s time to visit Central America. But first, it helps to know exactly where Central America is. Despite its name, it is the southernmost part of North America, which can seem a little confusing. It makes up most of the isthmus dividing the Pacific Ocean from the Caribbean Sea. An isthmus is a narrow strip of land that connects two larger landmasses and has water on both sides.