Jintao is a yellow-flesh kiwifruit. The appearance is very slightly different to the Zespri Sungold being a little more rounded in shape, marginally darker in skin colour and with more fine fuzz, though very much less than on green kiwifruit. The skin can be eaten but is quite tough to chew (much more so than Sungold), so better to peel with a knife. Inside, the flesh is an attractive pale golden yellow colour which tastes sweet with a unique flavour.
Eat when a clear softening can be felt to fruit.
Jintao is a midseason cultivar that ripens three to four weeks before the standard green Hayward cultivar (Actinidia deliciosa Chev). It offers growers in warmer climates an alternative to Hayward because of its higher productivity and improved heat tolerance.
Good Fruit Guide Rating: ****
Jintao is a very attractive kiwifruit with excellent flavour which will attract those who don’t like the tanginess of green kiwis.
Yellow, sweet, tropical.
Names: Jintao (金桃); Golden peach; Mihou-tao; Monkey peach; Actinidia chinensis Planch
Origin: Jintao was developed in a breeding program at the Wuhan Institute of Botany (WIB), Wuhan, Hubei, China. Jintao was introduced to Europe for evaluation in 1998 and released for commercial propagation in 2001. In 2001, Jingold acquired exclusive rights to the worldwide cultivation and marketing of Jintao.
Grown in: Italy, Portugal, Chile, Argentina, and South Africa.
Harvest & Availability: Supplies of Jintao to UK tend to come from the following:
- January: Italy
- February: Italy
- March: Italy
- April:
- May: Chile
- June: Chile
- July: Chile
- August: Chile
- September:
- October:
- November:
- December: Italy
Websites:
Jingold – marketing
