How to Eat a Kiwi, According to a Fruit Expert

A kiwi is a fuzzy fruit that has a lot of options. If you're wondering how to eat a kiwi, we're here to help. Whether you have the more familiar green kiwi or the newer SunGold kiwi, which is yellow, your approach should be the same. The kiwi may look a little daunting because of its hairy skin but it's an easy to enjoy fruit that's also versatile to use in a variety of dishes. We spoke to one of our favorite food pros—who literally wrote the book on fruit cake!—for ideas and expert tips.

Washing Kiwi

If you're ready to eat a kiwi, the first step in prep is to wash it. We recommend washing the kiwi just before you plan to eat it instead of doing it right when you get home from the market. Rinse the fruit thoroughly with cool water, using your hands to give it a gentle scrub if the skin looks a little dirty. Dry it off with a clean kitchen cloth or paper towel, and you’re ready to slice and snack.

3 Ways to Eat a Kiwi

Just as you can eat an apple out of hand or slice it; and eat the skin or peel it—eating a kiwi comes with similar options. There are three popular methods:

Peel and Slice

This is the most common way to eat kiwi fruit. The skin can be removed using a paring knife or vegetable peeler, and the flesh can be sliced into rounds or half-moons, chopped finely or coarsely, or even cut into fun shapes with cookie cutters.

Halve and Scoop

When you want to eat kiwi as a quick snack without peeling or slicing, simply cut the kiwi in half along its equator. Then use a small spoon to scoop right into the flesh. Once you've eaten all of the fruit from the skin, you can just pop the skin into the compost bin. 

Out of Hand

Believe it or not, the skin of a kiwi is completely edible. The skin has an earthy flavor similar to apple skin, and a furry texture. It also has significant levels of folate and vitamin E. You can bite straight into a cleaned kiwi just like you would with an apple or peach.

5 Ways to Use the Fuzzy Fruit

Once you've got kiwi snacking down, you're ready for the next level, using it in all kinds of dishes, both sweet and savory. We asked Jason Schreiber, food stylist, recipe developer, and author of Fruit Cake: Recipes for the Curious Baker, to share some of his favorite ways to use kiwi.

"Kiwi's sweet-tart flavor is the perfect companion to other bright flavors, like citrus juice or fresh ginger," says Schreiber. But, it has such a delicate consistency that it can easily be overpowered by more powerful ingredients. His favorite partners for kiwi are other tender tropical fruits, like banana, mango, dragon fruit, passion fruit, and guava,

Though he loves baking with fruit, Schreiber doesn't recommend using kiwi in baked goods. Rather he suggests using it fresh to best enjoy its unique flavor and texture.

• Yogurt Bowl: Pair it with other tropical fruits for a breakfast yogurt bowl.
• Fruit Salad: Try it in a fresh fruit salad, drizzled with a citrus-ginger dressing.
• Smoothies: Adding kiwi is also a great way to add some essential vitamins to your morning smoothie. Fresh or frozen kiwi works here.
• Pavlova: One of his favorite ways to use fresh kiwi is atop pavlova desserts, especially when it's filled with a silky smooth fruit curd flavored with citrus and ginger. 
• Dessert Garnish: Use chopped kiwi mixed with honey spooned over slices of pound cake—or other cake—with whipped cream. Try it as a garnish for a vanilla or citrus custard or flan.