Geo answer

For today’s Geo Quiz — we’re on the trail of a sweet fruit that goes by the name: Chinese gooseberries.

Gooseberries have been cultivated in China for centuries. They grow on vines especially in the mountainous areas along the middle reaches of the Yangzte River.

photo: Luc Viatourphoto: Luc Viatour

They arrived on US shores in the early 1900’s. Back around 1950, someone had the brilliant idea of renaming the fruit?

First they came up with the name MELONETTE…but who wants to eat something called a melonette?

Then they drew inspiration from the indigenous New Zealand bird: the kiwi.

Kiwi birdKiwi bird

So call it what you like, but for our quiz…we want to know where the fruit with brown fuzzy skin and bright green insides comes from?

China, New Zealand, Chile, France, Greece, Italy, and the U.S. – all grow kiwis. But which country is the world’s leading producer?

Farmers there call it green gold.

We’ll crown you kiwi king if you come up with the answer.

Our Geo Quiz today asked you to name the world’s leading producer of kiwifruit?

photo: Allen Timothy Changphoto: Allen Timothy Chang

Since the Kiwi is the national bird of New Zealand you might have guessed New Zealand or maybe California or Chile.

Actually it’s a Mediterranean country that supplies 35 percent of the kiwi market. Italy is the answer to our Geo Quiz.

According to Chelso Paganini, CEO of New Jersey-based Paganini Foods. Listen to the interview: