A new breed of fruit is currently the talk of the town! Some people say these are real fruits but many also say it is a scam.
A kiwi on the inside and a strawberry on the outside. Are kiwi strawberries real or not?
Kiwi Strawberries are said to be hybrid fruits – a cross between a strawberry and a kiwi. Some sources say that these fruits are products of grafting, while others say they are products of breeding. What Do You Think?
Are Kiwi Strawberries Real or Not?
Despite its rising popularity, the true existence of kiwi strawberries is constantly being questioned. Many photos of the fruit have been posted online. There are also many sellers of this new fruit around the world.
However, there has been no conclusive answer as to whether or not kiwi strawberries are real.
Not much is known about this hybrid fruit as compared to the more popular Pinberry (pineapple and strawberry), Plumcot (plum and apricot), and Tayberry (blackberry and red raspberry) to name a few.
Many experts agree that there are real kiwi strawberries. The famous geneticist and plant breeder, Dr. Steven Oppenheimer, said these fruits are real.
Grafting vs Breeding
Are kiwi strawberries products of grafting or breeding?
Grafting is a technique wherein two plants are joined to form a single plant.
A cut is created on one of the plants and the other one is inserted into the cut.
This allows the tissues of both plants to grow together.
The cuts or wounds should be protected until it heals so diseases and pests do not get to the graft.
Most fruit-bearing trees today are products of grafting.
It is a fast and reliable method of reproducing plants that do not grow from true seeds.
You cannot save the seeds to grow new plants if you are a backyard gardener because most grafted plants are patented.
On the other hand:
Breeding refers to the deliberate alteration of the genetic composition of the fruit crops through selection, mutation, molecular, induction, and hybridization techniques.
Fruit breeding forms a cross between two fruit plants with the hope of forming a new and superior fruit with unique characteristics. It is commonly referred to as a hybrid fruit.
Fruit breeding creates a new fruit cross between two separate fruit plants. In the case of kiwi strawberries, it is a cross between the kiwi fruit and strawberry. The seeds of this hybrid fruit are shipped from China.
The Kiwi Strawberry Fruit
Kiwi, or kiwifruit, or Chinese gooseberry, is a woody vine and an edible fruit. It is native to Taiwan and China. It is also grown commercially in California and New Zealand. The kiwifruit has a slight acid taste, and a high content of Vitamins C and K.
A strawberry plant is a herbaceous plant.
It is a low-growing plant with a fibrous root system and a crown growing from its basal leaves. As the plant matures, it forms a woody root system. Botanically, strawberries are accessory fruits and not true berries.
The kiwi strawberry is a small fruit that looks like a kiwi fruit and strawberry combination. It comes with a red outer skin with black seeds. Inside, the fruit is green with white flesh.
Many say kiwi strawberries have a sweet and sour taste resembling the contradicting taste of the kiwi fruit and strawberries.
This makes both fruits complement each other. Kiwi strawberries, therefore, have the sweet taste of strawberry with a slight tart from the kiwi fruit.
Whether or not the combined taste of the kiwi fruit and strawberries tastes good is a matter of opinion. Many, though, say they do.
Many people have combined kiwi fruits and strawberries in their juices and say they have a powerful combination. Kiwifruits and strawberries have long been combined in infused water, sodas, smoothies, and jams.
A close inspection of kiwi strawberries shows that they look like strawberries on the outside. Inside, they have the appearance of a kiwi fruit.
Strawberries and kiwis are individually rich in fiber.
However, the health benefits of kiwi strawberries still do not have substantial proof because not much research has been done on this hybrid fruit.
Fruits, in general, come with many health benefits, so it is safe to say that this new fruit also has some health benefits.
Some claim that Kiwi strawberries have high contents of antioxidants making them a powerhouse in lowering cholesterol.
It also has cancer-fighting properties. This new fruit’s other potential health benefits include increased absorption of nutrients and digestion. It can also manage your levels blood sugar.
Kiwi strawberries are said to have been first grown in greenhouses in China. In the 1980s, Japan followed by Taiwan and Korea started growing the fruit.
Today, amidst the controversy of whether it is real or not, kiwi strawberries have become increasingly popular in North America and Europe.
Final Thoughts on Kiwi Strawberries – Real Or Not?
There seems to be a lot of natural evidence for the real existence of kiwi strawberries. You should, however, also note that many images of this new fruit appearing online may not be a photo of the real fruit.
Are kiwi strawberries real? Yes, they are!