That of baby kiwis - or mini kiwis, if you prefer - is a particular type of gooseberry that produces very small fruits.
From a nutritional point of view, mini kiwis belong to the VII fundamental group of foods - fruits and vegetables rich in vitamin C. In the context of their membership, they have a medium-sized energy intake, mainly provided by soluble-simple carbohydrates (fructose ). They contain significant amounts of water and certain minerals - especially potassium.
Of the species witty, from the botanical point of view, that of the baby kiwi belongs to the Actinidiaceae family and to the Genus Actinidia, that is the same as the "traditional" kiwi - that is the most widespread in Italy. The subspecies - sometimes called simply varieties - most commercialized are: witty (TO. witty witty), giraldii And hypoleuca.
The ripening of the mini kiwis takes place in the autumn season, with small differences due to the climate and the territory. The fruits are grouped in 4-5 units at a time and the clusters are spaced about 10 cm from each other - the harvest is therefore generally very abundant.
Compared to the most commercialized kiwis, mini kiwis are smooth - without surface hair - green to brown, red or purple when ripe; they reach more or less the size of a walnut. In fact, if it weren't for the slightly more elongated shape - elliptical longitudinal section - the fruit of the baby kiwi would be almost identical to an unripe walnut. The plant, on the other hand, is totally different; it is a climber that reaches a maximum size of 6-10 m, even if in agriculture it is normally kept at a "height that makes fruit harvesting practical."
The taste of the baby kiwi is characteristic and the taste is mainly sweet, with acidic notes however developed - still unripe, the fruit tends to lap; fully ripe, the texture is slightly softer and the taste more intense than other kiwifruit species. It is suitable for raw consumption and has no particular indications or contraindications; the absence of hair is appreciable, which makes it perfectly edible even with peel.
