Kiwifruit is also known as the Chinese gooseberry, an edible fruit with numerous health benefits. However, this fruit has an essential place in our daily lives because it is a part of our several foods. For example, you can use kiwis in juices, decorating desserts, and even kiwis are used to serve as medicine in China. But, many people avoid eating kiwis due to their hairy skin. As kiwi fruits are fuzzy due to the presence of hairs. But why do kiwis have hairs? Are these hairs beneficial to kiwis and humans? Let’s dig into it.
However, kiwi fruit is fuzz due to the presence of hairs on their skin. But these hairs put a great effort into keeping kiwis safe from different pests. Not only this, but kiwi’s hair also helps keep the moisture lock inside the fruit, which is necessary for the excellent health of kiwi fruit.
Why Do Kiwis Have Hairs?
Kiwi is a delicious fruit that is native to central and eastern China. However, kiwi is a fruit with lots of essential nutrients and minerals necessary for our body’s health. But, several people avoid preferring kiwis on other fruits due to their fuzziness.
Because kiwi fruits contain hair on their skin. However, these are not hair, but they are termed trichomes on the skin of kiwi fruit. But many people find these trichomes as an inconvenience for them to eat kiwi fruit.
As, before eating kiwi, they have to remove their skin due to their trichomes. And even several scientists working to produce kiwi fruit without trichomes so that when the fruit ripens, it will become ready to eat without any inconvenience.
But, as we know that nothing in nature is without any purpose, that’s why these kiwi hairs also serve several advantages to the kiwi fruit. So, let’s discuss in detail that why do kiwis have hairs.
Protecting From Pets:
However, protecting your fruit from pets is a big deal for every gardener. Because several insects and pests can eat their kiwi fruit which is a great loss for them. But naturally, kiwi fruit keeps itself safe from these pests and insects.
Because, for insects and pests, it is not possible to harm the fruit skin due to the presence of hairs. As these hairs are uncomfortable for them to move on the fruit. Not only this, because of these hairs, insects and pests become unable to eat the fruit.
Draw Moisture from Air:
Maintaining the proper level of moisture in the fruit is necessary for the excellent health of the fruit. And also, the appropriate level of moisture in the fruit makes it edible and delicious. However, this super job is done by these kiwi hairs. As they are used to draw proper moisture from the air to maintain it inside the fruit.
Not only they maintain the moisture inside the fruit, but also lock the fruit’s moisture so that it cannot lose during the process of respiration. However, kiwi hairs draw moisture from the air, but they also use dew drops to maintain fruit’s moisture.
Can you eat kiwifruit skin?
However, there is no harm in eating kiwi fruit’s skin, as, like several other fruit skins, kiwi fruit’s skin is also edible. But several people avoid eating their skin due to their fuzziness. As the hairs on the kiwi’s skin can cause an uncomfortable sensation inside your mouth.
But we can remove their hairs by scraping them or with the use of the blade. However, like the skin of apples and pears, the kiwi fruit’s skin contains several nutrients and minerals as well. That’s why you can eat their skin after removing their hairs.
Why do kiwis burn my tongue?
However, not always kiwi fruit burn your tongue, but when it has more amount of actidin, then it can produce an itching sensation in your mouth. Actidin is a chemical compound that presents in kiwi fruit if it does not ripen well. And the ripped kiwi contains less amount of this compound.
Moreover, this sensation is not always produced when you eat kiwi fruit because it depends on the ripening of the fruit. However, if you eat kiwi after a fatty meal, it will not cause irritation in the mouth and throat. Furthermore, if you eat cooked kiwis, it doesn’t create any irritation because actidin destroys kiwi because of heat.
Are All Kiwis Hairy?
However, the most common and naturally growing kiwi is fuzzy in nature. This means that these kiwis have hairs on their skin. And the fuzzy kiwi types included Abbott kiwi, Bruno kiwi, Fuzzy kiwi, Green Kiwi, Hayward Kiwi, Jenny Kiwi, Mao Hua Kiwi, etc.
And the most abundantly kiwi available in your market will also be hairy. But his doesn’t mean that all the kiwis are hairy, as a scientist also grows several kiwis that are not hairy at all.
Moreover, such kiwis without any hair are the same in color and texture as the fuzzy kiwis. And in such kiwis following kiwi types are included.
Hardy Kiwi:
This type of hairless kiwi is native to Japan, Korea, Northern China, and Eastern Russia. However, hardy kiwi or kiwi berry is of grape size and has the same taste and texture as any other fuzzy kiwi.
Moreover, it is the perfect example of non-fuzzy kiwi as it has completely bald skin of green color. However, it cannot survive with a temperature of fewer than 10 degrees.
But you cannot find this kiwi type as common you can find other fuzzy kiwis in supermarkets. However, in farmer’s markets, you can find them easily.
Arctic Kiwi and Silver Vine:
Like hardy kiwi, arctic kiwi is also the type of kiwis without any hair on their skin. And it also has the same color and taste, just like any other fuzzy kiwi. However, their size is not according to the size of average kiwis, as they are a little bit larger than the size of a grape.
Silver vine is also one of the kiwi types that have no hair on their outer skin. However, these kiwis are used to grow on the mountains of Korea, Japan, and China. However, this kiwi type can maintain its taste and texture even at the temperature of -30 degrees centigrade.
Read also: Is Kiwi a Citrus Fruit?
Health Benefits of Kiwi:
Kiwi is a nutritious fruit with plenty of health benefits. As it contains a good amount of antioxidants and flavonoids. Not only this, but kiwi is a good source of vitamins like vitamin C, K, and E. Furthermore, minerals like folate and potassium are present in abundance in kiwi.
Because of several healthy nutrients and minerals, kiwi is beneficial to boost the immune system, cure asthma, help in proper digestion due to the presence of fiber, etc.
A Final Thought:
Until now, you have a clear idea of why do kiwis have hair? As their hairs help to maintain the moisture inside the fruit by drawing the moisture from air and dewdrops. Not only this, but kiwi fruit’s hairs also keep the fruit safe from the different pests and insects. As their hair make uncomfortable sensations in their bodies that make it hard for insects and pests to eat kiwi fruit.
However, such kiwis are also present in supermarkets that have no hair. And in such kiwis, hardy kiwi, arctic kiwi, and silver vine included. These kiwis don’t have any hair on their skin and are also called kiwi berries.