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Mihoutao
and Qiyiguo

For anyone who has hesitated at a fruit stall. These are the two Chinese names for what English speakers call kiwifruit
No. 32Nature & SciencePart 2 of 9Fact-checked Sep 24, 2026
1

The short version

Mihoutao Qiyiguo =

They are the same fruit. One is the name from home; the other is the name that came back from abroad.

2

How one name
became two

A wild fruit of China's mountainsMonkeys love it, hence "mihoutao" (macaque peach)
1904: it sails abroadA New Zealand school principal brought a handful of seeds home from Yichang, in Hubei province
1959: renamed and sold to the USNew Zealanders borrowed the name of their own fuzzy little bird, the kiwi, and called it kiwifruit
Sounded back into Chinese"Kiwi" became "qiyi" ("strange and wonderful"), and it was sold back to China

In short: like a kid called by a pet name at home who takes an English name abroad. Back home, everyone starts using the English name, but it's still the same person.

3

Then why is
the price so
different?

It's not the name. It's these things:

Green fleshMost common, sweet-tart
Gold fleshSweeter, less sour
Red centerA red ring in the middle, very sweet
Who grows it, how it's runBig brands set one standard, so every fruit is about equally good

The pricey "qiyiguo" in supermarkets is mostly imported by big New Zealand brands. The cost comes from the variety, the standards and the shipping, not the name.

4

A surprising fact

China Everywhere else

The world's biggest grower is China.

Zhouzhi, a single county in Shaanxi province, can produce several hundred thousand tonnes a year. Home-grown fruit can be just as good, so don't hear "mihoutao" and assume it's the cheap stuff.

5

Three things
to check when
buying

First, the color insideWant sweet? Pick gold or red flesh
Then, where it's fromOrigin is more reliable than the name
Hard when you get home? WaitSeal it in a bag with an apple for two or three days. When it gives slightly under a gentle press, it's ready
6

Don't be fooled
by the name

¥
A "qiyiguo" label
doesn't mean imported,
or better Some domestic fruit is also sold under the "qiyiguo" label. Anyone can use a name; variety and origin are what can't lie.
Next time you're at the fruit stall, no need to agonize over what it's called.
Ask "what variety, and where from?" and you won't pay extra for a name.
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