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By JACQUELINE TAN, myp@sph.com.sg, IN TAURANGA, NEW ZEALAND
PHOTO: GOLD ON VINES: The writer plucking kiwifruit at an orchard belonging to leading kiwifruit marketer Zespri.
The fruit hanging from the vines looked temptingly zesty and delicious.
(PHOTOS: JACQUELINE TAN) MY PAPER MONDAY JULY 19, 2010, PAGE A10 - 11, TRAVEL
PHOTOS: JACQUELINE TAN
THE dessert platter landed before our eyes, eliciting a chorus of oohs and aahs.
We poked into the creme brulee, a whole Zespri Gold kiwifruit partially glazed with a crisp sugar crust.
Smooth, heavenly custard flowed out like lava when the tender fruit was sliced open.
What a gourmet treat coming from such a humble fruit, the first seeds of which were brought to New Zealand from China in 1906.
When you think of desserts with kiwifruit, the latter is mostly used as a garnish for pastry tarts, topping for yogurt or simply turned into coulis.
But in the hands of chef Stephen Barry, owner of Mount Bistro (6 Adams Avenue, Mt Maunganui), gold kiwi is turned into creme brulee and featured in a moist macadamia cake, while green kiwi is paired with avocado ice cream to dress up succulent raw oysters.
We poked into the creme brulee, a whole Zespri Gold kiwifruit partially glazed with a crisp sugar crust.
Smooth, heavenly custard flowed out like lava when the tender fruit was sliced open.
What a gourmet treat coming from such a humble fruit, the first seeds of which were brought to New Zealand from China in 1906.
When you think of desserts with kiwifruit, the latter is mostly used as a garnish for pastry tarts, topping for yogurt or simply turned into coulis.
But in the hands of chef Stephen Barry, owner of Mount Bistro (6 Adams Avenue, Mt Maunganui), gold kiwi is turned into creme brulee and featured in a moist macadamia cake, while green kiwi is paired with avocado ice cream to dress up succulent raw oysters.
PHOTO: YUMMY: Green kiwifruit served as ice cream and jelly at Solitaire Lodge, a hotel in prime kiwifruit country.
“I want to show how kiwifruit can also be used creatively, and not just as toppings over pavlova,” said the soft-spoken celebrity chef, who is also New Zealand’s Beef & Lamb Ambassador.
And why not, for he has possibly the world’s best kiwifruit at his doorstep. Mt Maunganui (more commonly known as “The Mount”), where his restaurant is located, is the beautiful coastal suburb of Tauranga, a city in the Bay of Plenty region in New Zealand’s North Island.
The region cannot be more aptly named. Fresh produce bursts forth in abundance from this place, with the kiwifruit among them.
The fruit is New Zealand’s largest horticulture export, thanks to Zespri, a leading global marketer that sells kiwifruit in more than 60 countries. It represents 2,700 New Zealand growers, whose 3,110 orchards have produced over 390,000 tonnes of kiwifruit this year alone.
Launched in 1997, the Zespri brand has become synonymous with premium kiwifruit. And to learn more about the brand, I visited the company’s orchards, pack house and port in Tauranga.
NOTHING BUT THE BEST
From the harvesting of the fruit to the point of export, each stage is subjected to exacting standards. Zespri gets laboratory experts to determine when the fruit can be removed from its vines, and growers pluck only when they are given the green light.
I had a shot at plucking the fruit at one of the orchards. With the autumn sunlight caressing their bronze skins, the fruit hanging from the vines above me looked even more temptingly zesty and delicious.
Zespri also makes sure growers produce fruit that meet environmental-sustainability standards, food-safety guarantees and quality-assurance processes.
Crates and cartons each have a bar-code label, allowing each batch of fruit to be traced back to its grower.And just when you think everything is good to go by the time the crates arrive at the port to be loaded onto the awaiting vessels, random boxes are singled out for a final round of checks.
AS GOOD AS GOLD
After giving the world its first gold kiwi, Zespri worked on even more varieties of the fruit over 10 years, with a “red” kiwi coming up next.
The company prides itself on its ability to cater to consumers’ tastes, and the Zespri Gold is a testament to such efforts.
Specially created for the Asian palate, the gold kiwi is very popular in Japan and Singapore. It has a higher sugar content and its yellow-gold flesh oozes with tropical sweetness. “In Singapore, sales of Zespri Gold are growing faster than those of the Green, by as much as 20-23 per cent compared to 5-10 per cent for the Green,” said Mr Daniel Mathieson, Zespri’s regional market manager for South-east Asia and South Asia.
“Gold is really popular with younger Singaporeans, thanks to its refreshing, sweet taste, not to mention its high nutrient density and vitamin C content.”
NATIVE COLOURS
Besides giving me an insight into Zespri’s operations and innovative systems, my agri-venture in Tauranga also gave me a taste of Maori culture and hospitality on Rangiwaea Island, where Zespri kiwifruit is also
grown.
Here, however, the orchards are Maori-owned and the growers are part of the Tauwhao Te Ngare Trust, set up in 1982 to manage interests in horticulture, agriculture and forestry.
After a warm Maori welcome – rubbing noses with my hosts, I toured the land on a trailer, visiting the kiwifruit and avocado orchards and stopping by the spot where our hangi dinner (the traditional Maori method of cooking meat by using heated rocks buried in a pit oven) was being prepared.
grown.
Here, however, the orchards are Maori-owned and the growers are part of the Tauwhao Te Ngare Trust, set up in 1982 to manage interests in horticulture, agriculture and forestry.
After a warm Maori welcome – rubbing noses with my hosts, I toured the land on a trailer, visiting the kiwifruit and avocado orchards and stopping by the spot where our hangi dinner (the traditional Maori method of cooking meat by using heated rocks buried in a pit oven) was being prepared.
PHOTO: HOT PIT: Maori hosts on Rangiwaea Island preparing a hangi dinner, cooking various meats with heated rocks buried in a pit.
MY PAPER MONDAY JULY 19, 2010, PAGE A10 - 11, TRAVEL
At dinner, my hosts laid out a table piled with heaps of meat and the Maori children entertained me with songs and a haka war dance, all part of their hospitality programme for overseas guests.
“It’s about building international relationships and letting our children meet the people who support and buy our produce,” said Mr Hemi Rolleston, an advisory trustee.
“Our orchards are very much who we are. They create jobs for our community and provide us with a source of income. They are for the long term.”
After learning about the growers, and the wealth of research and innovation that goes into cultivating the Zespri kiwifruit, I’ve come to realise that the fruit is really among the best of its kind, while also helping to sustain communities.
The writer’s trip was sponsored by Zespri.
SUPER FRUIT
KIWIFRUIT is an exceptional source of vitamin C (with twice the amount found in apples and oranges), but here are other reasons why you should eat it:
- It’s a great source of dietary fibre, potassium, folic acid, vitamin E, carotenoids and other antioxidants.
- It’s low in fat, so it’s perfect to eat every day.
- Zespri Green improves digestive health and prevents bloating. It contains actinidine, which enhances digestion of proteins. Actinidine is also a natural tenderiser, so use Zespri Green to make your meats nice and tender.
- Zespri Gold increases iron uptake. The phytochemicals in the fruit assist the body in absorbing iron and achieving positive effects on brain function and immune system. This means we’ll feel less lethargic and more productive.
- It helps to prevent chronic diseases such as colon cancer, cardiovascular disease and diabetes.
PHOTO: Playful Maori children on Rangiwaea Island giving the writer a warm welcome to their community.
MY PAPER MONDAY JULY 19, 2010, PAGE A10 - 11, TRAVEL
HELPDESK
我的字典: Wǒ de zì diǎn
Creme brulee: 焦糖布丁 jiāo táng bù dīng
Kiwifruit: 奇异果 qí yì guǒ
Cartons: 纸箱 zhǐ xiāng
Avocado: 鳄梨 è lí
Reference
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