Kiwifruit are associated with New Zealand, and were originally named *Chinese Gooseberry* Some people abbreviate this to "kiwi" which is technically wrong - a Kiwi is an endangered flightless nocturnal bird from New Zealand - but a very common usage.
The brown or yellow hairy fruit formerly known as the Chinese Gooseberry Also recently released cultivated to have a pink/reddish flesh. May be served peeled or unpeeled.
Fruit has a soft pale white center which is edible, surrounded by dozens of tiny black seeds, which are also edible. The bulk of the fruit is a soft layer of fruit flesh in green/yellow/red and is edible. The skin is often brown, but yellow flesh tends to have a yellowish skin. The entire fruit is edible.
The yellow variant has been produced by breeding, and is trademarked as a "zespri" but may be used exactly the same.
Common usage might be as a colour in a fruit salad, or for decoration on a cream pavlova (note enzymes tend to not get on with cream or dairy produicts so kiwifruit is added last minute). Those with bowel stoppage issues might eat/drink pulped kiwifruit in a smoothie or raw to soften things up.
It is rarely used in hot foods, but makes a good garnish or component of relish/chutney/jam.
Kiwifruit grow on woody vines, and contain enzymes that contribute to meat tenderness.
Note there are allergies for kiwifruit - often related to beesting-like symptoms.
More info at Wikipedia:kiwifruit and has nothing to do with the bird Wikipedia:Kiwi despite a passing resemblance.
