French botanist Jules Emile Planchon named the fruit Actinidia chinensisin 1847, from the Greek aktis meaning small spoke, in reference to the female flowers that unfold like the spokes of a bicycle wheel.

The history of the kiwi

Originally from China, where it has been consumed for over 2,000 years, the fruit grown on woody vines along the great Yangtze River was known as Yang Tao, or Yang peach.
It was introduced into Europe in the mid-18th century as an ornamental plant, where it was cultivated in botanical gardens during the 19th century.
The fruit then achieved its first major success when it was cultivated in New Zealand in the early 20th century, and earned the name Kiwi after the country’s iconic bird, which is also small, brown, and fuzzy.
Now grown and eaten around the world, the fruit is appreciated for its taste and high antioxidant content, making it the ideal healthy choice. In France, the first commercial harvest took place in 1972. South West France - the region most conducive to cultivating the fruit due to climate, soil and sunshine - now accounts for three quarters of French production.

An example of upcycling

Nouvelle Aquitaine accounts for 75% …