Actress Kalki Koechlin, celebrity chef Ranveer Brar, and nutritionist Pooja Makhija were among the special guests present on the occasion.
The new variety, SunGold kiwifruit, is a cross breed of green kiwifruit and golden kiwifruit. As a result of 10 years of research, this variety is loaded with more than 20 essentials, vitamins and minerals than any other varieties, according to the company. There are total 120 varieties of kiwifruit.
Speaking on the occasion, Ritesh Bhimani, country manager, Zespri International, claimed, “The SunGold kiwifruit is a rare combination of sweet yet healthy, making it an ideal choice for weightloss diets and healthy living. With a nutritive adequacy score of 18.7 and a low 0.19 Gl, the SunGold kiwifruit is also a perfect food option for diabetic patients, assisting with management of blood sugar levels as well as boosting daily energy levels.”
Koechlin stated, “This is first time I am associated with a fruit. I craved for kiwi in my school days when my classmate from New Zealand used to bring kiwifruit in school and at that time kiwi were not available in India. This is a great fruit in regards to taste and health benefits and I will surely include this Zespri SunGold kiwifruit in my plate.''
Makhija opined, “It is great for the skin, hair and infuses vigour and vitality in the day. The fruit works wonders for people of any age trying to lose weight and adapt to a fitter lifestyle. Eating kiwifruit daily can alleviate symptoms in people with chronic constipation and provide other essential antioxidants.”
She added, “Kiwifruit is very beneficial for pregnant women as it has lots of vitamins and minerals. Even a diabetic can consume this as it contains natural sweetness, which will not harm anyone.”
Brar observed, “Indians love sweets – whether it is a small sweet dish after a meal or a granola bar at the start of the day. The SunGold kiwi is very versatile as you can opt to eat it by itself, toss it in a refreshing salad, even make fun summer coolers.”
He added, “Kiwis were once used only as a garnish, but I want to say that don’t use them only to garnish but eat them. This fruit is very delicious. My new book talks about it, the different recipes that can be cooked with kiwifruit. It does not only taste delicious but is also very easy to cook.”
Ben Hughes, regional manager, New Zealand, Zespri kiwifruit, spoke about the efforts to grow kiwifruit as climatic conditions matter a lot. “We worked a lot to bring Zespri to this level with new innovations and breeding. Zespri kiwifruit is exported to 54 countries.”
