Kiwi fruit (Actinidia deliciosa) are native to China, where they are the national fruit. They were first imported to New Zealand in the early 20th century and were known as "Chinese gooseberries." When exports from New Zealand to the US began in the 1950s, that name would have been a Cold War marketing disaster, and eventually the name "kiwi" was adopted. By 2007, Italy had become the world's leading producer of kiwi fruit, with New Zealand second.
Source(s):
http://kiwi-fruit.info/kiwi-fruit/History+of+Kiwi+Fruit
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kiwifruit


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