Food, Recipe, and Activity of the Week - December 10, 2006
This week's features include:
Food - Kiwi
Recipe - Kiwi mango salsa
Activity - Water polo
History
Originally referred to as Chinese Gooseberries or Yang Tao, kiwifruit was first cultivated in Chang Kiang Valley of China approximately 700 years ago. Kiwifruit was first exported from China to the United States in 1904, but it was not until 1935 when kiwifruit was grown for commercial use in the U.S. A man by the name of Carl Heinke was the first to grow commercially-available kiwi in Paradise, California. He planted nine Chinese Gooseberry vines next to his grape vineyard and watched his Chinese Gooseberries grow successfully in the warm climate. California has since become the largest producer of kiwifruit in the U.S., producing 95 percent of all kiwifruit consumed in the U.S, with New Zealand making up the other 5 percent.
Before California became a large cultivator of kiwifruit, New Zealand was already exporting kiwi to the U.S. In fact, back in 1961, Trader Vic’s in San Francisco was the first restaurant to serve kiwifruit on its menu. Kiwifruit experienced a surge of popularity in the 1980’s and has since remained a popular fruit.
Nutrition
In a study conducted at Rutgers University, scientists found that kiwifruit is the most nutrient dense of all fruits, with papaya, mango, and oranges falling right behind. Kiwifruit contains the highest amounts of magnesium and vitamin C than any other fruit – containing approximately double the vitamin C of an orange! Furthermore, kiwi, papaya, and apricots outweigh the banana in terms of potassium levels. Kiwifruit is also a good source of vitamin E, which is a difficult vitamin to obtain from the diet. Unlike many other fruits, kiwi is available year round because of California’s late fall harvest and New Zealand’s summer harvest.
Adapted from California KiwiFruit Commission
Selection & Storage
To select the best-tasting kiwi, hold the kiwifruit between your thumb and forefinger and apply gentle pressure to the fruit. A perfectly ripe kiwi should yield to the pressure just enough to make a small dent. An overripe kiwi will yield too much to thumb pressure, and an under ripe kiwi will not yield enough.
Ripe, ready-to-eat kiwi can be stored at room temperature or in the refrigerator. When stored in the refrigerator, be sure the kiwi is stored away from other fruits and vegetables because they release ethylene gas which can speed up the ripening process and cause the kiwi to become overripe. If you purchase under ripe kiwi, they can quickly ripen within a few days by placing them at room temperature inside a brown bag with an apple, banana, or pear to speed up the process.
Adapted from The World’s Healthiest Foods
Nutrient Analysis for 1 Kiwifruit: calories: 46, fat: <1g, cholesterol: 0mg, protein: 1g, carbohydrates: 11g, sodium: 4mg, fiber: 3g
Makes 1 serving
Ingredients:
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1 kiwi
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1/4 cup mango
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1 Tbsp cilantro, chopped
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2 tsp lime juice
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1/2 tsp minced chilies
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Pinch of salt
Directions:
Peel kiwi and cut into eighths and then dice. Place diced kiwi in bowl and mix gently with other ingredients. As and alternative, substitute 1/4 cup dried figs for the mango.
Nutritional Information (per serving): 90 calories, 0 grams fat, 1 grams protein, 22 grams carbohydrate, 0 mg cholesterol, 240 mg sodium, 4 grams fiber
Recipe courtesy of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. For more recipes and other information about fruits and vegetables visit: http://www.cdc.gov/nccdphp/dnpa/5aday/index.htm
Did you know that water polo was originally patterned after polo played on land with barrels floating in the water replacing the horses? Water polo began in England in the 1860's and 1870's when swimming became a popular recreation. Various land games were moved to the water including polo. In original versions of water polo, the goaltender stood on the side of the pool ready to dive on any opponent ready to score. In 1877, Scotland tamed the sport by adding goalposts.
“American style” water polo of the late 19 th century was perhaps the roughest game ever played. Holding and sinking were legal as well as the ‘jujitsu toe hold' and the ‘back strangle hold.' In fact, the main attraction of this version of the sport was the violence and mayhem. It wasn't until 1914 that American water polo rules met international water polo standards.
Water polo was the first team sport to be added to the Modern Olympic Games. Water polo was added to the Olympic program for the second Modern Olympic Games held in Paris , France in 1900.
The object of water pole is to get the ball into the enclosed goals at opposite ends of the pool. This can be accomplished by using the head, feet, or hand. Only one hand may be used at a time to advance the ball, which must be carried on the surface of the water. Each team consists of seven players with one player being the goalie. Two referees pace the side of the pool calling fouls. The game is divided into quarters that are 7 minutes in length. If there is a tie, there are two overtime periods of 3 minutes each. If a tie still remains after the overtime periods, teams participate in a penalty shoot-out.
A 143-pound person can burn approximately 279 calories playing a recreational game of water polo for 30 minutes.
Always consult a physician before beginning any new type of exercise.
For more information on water polo, go to www.usawaterpolo.org