Little, itty-bitty, baby kiwi!

When I saw these at Trader Joe’s a while back… I just couldn’t resist! They were each about the size of a whole walnut, with smooth, tender skin. Here is how Melissa’s Produce describes them:

Baby Kiwis, cousins of the Kiwi Fruit, are luscious berries with smooth skin, delicate seeds and are similar in size to the grape. They are high in nutritional value and make excellent snacks. Baby Kiwis’ beautiful green skin lacks the undesirable fuzz found on the larger, well-known variety. They are just as delicious and refreshing as well. Baby Kiwis are handpicked and immediately hand-packed with care. They have a shelf life of 7 to 14 days. Eat Baby Kiwis whole right out of the hand or create delightful snacks and hors d’oervres for any occasion.

Most of the photos that I saw online, showed the fruit as being a brillian green. Mine on the other hand, had this crazy-beautiful, crimson center. Just look at these!

They were tender, super sweet and reminded me VERY MUCH of a gooseberry. Did you know that our standard kiwi is sometimes called a “Chinese Gooseberry”? Now I know why!

You can read all about them on the Specialty Producesite that I often use to obtain information on various fruits and vegetables. If you happen to bump into these little beauties in your local grocery store, I highly recommend you try them. Our package lasted about 10 minutes between myself, the Husband and the 4-yo. We all loved them and couldn’t stop gulping them down. Though I did feel a little guilty that they were anything but “local”… having come in all the way from New Zealand. Hmmm… for the love of food research???