Description
The Kiwi de l'Adour PGI is kiwi from the Hayward variety of the Actinidia deliciosa plant. To allow the kiwis to achieve the right size standards, the orchards must be more than four years old.
Production Area
The production area of Kiwi de l'Adour PGI is located in the Pays de l'Adour, irrigated by the Adour River and its tributaries and includes the departments of Gers, Landes and Pyrénées Atlantiques in the regions Midi-Pyrenees and Aquitaine.
Production Method
To ensure an optimum pollination the ratio of female plants to male plants should be 300-800 to 100-160 per ha and the plant density has to be 2,5-6 m in the row, and 4-6 m between rows. Thinning, which consists in reducing the number of fruits, is carried out manually from mid-April to end of July and allows each producer to adapt the number of fruits on the tree to the potential of his orchard and to obtain fruits of the requested size and quality. The pruning, which consists of thinning out the foliage t0 encourage the development of fruits and the control of the irrigation have an important role. The harvest which is done by hand starts when the fruits have achieved optimum maturity. In any case, it does not take place before 25 October.
Appearance and Flavour
The Kiwi de l'Adour PGI is an ovoid fruit with a brown or reddish-green skin, covered with silky fine hairs. Inside its flesh is intense green in colour, fragrant and slightly acidic. It has a melting, juicy texture when the fruit is ripe.
History
The history of Kiwi de l'Adour PGI is linked to the experience of Henri Pedelucq who pioneered the experimental introduction of the kiwi cultivation in the Adour basin. In 1965 he observed that, amongst his experiments, only the Actinidia plants had survived the frost, he understood that the climate of the Pays de l'Adour was suitable to growing kiwis. After the success of the first kiwi cultivation, destined for Germany, Pedelucq decided to put the plants on the market, and kiwi cultivation spread in France. But the most suitable region for kiwi growing soon revealed to be Pays de l'Adour. In the years 1985-1987 the farmers of the Adour basin were the next to start this promising new line of production.
Gastronomy
The Kiwi de l'Adour PGI keeps for two-three weeks in the refrigerator or a few days at room temperature. The Kiwi de l'Adour PGI is usually consumed raw, peeled and sliced. It can also be tasted cooked or with sweet or salty dishes or can be used in numerous recipes, from the simplest one (like the kiwi cake) to the most original (some cooks combine it with fish dishes or foie gras).
Marketing
The product is sold as Kiwi de l'Adour PGI. It is marketed in the categories I (weight above 80 gr) and extra (weight above 90 gr), under EU normative. After grading, the kiwis are presented in loose packs, layered in trays or in consumer sales.
Distinctive Features
The characteristics of the Kiwi de l'Adour PGI are derived from the late harvesting of the mature fruit which allows optimal development of the kiwis taste qualities (increase in the dry matter of the fruit and of the sugar content) and facilitating a prolonged cold storage of the fruits. Moreover, the climatic characteristics of Pays de l'Adour basin (temperate microclimate, high level of humidity, good ventilation) and the quality of the soils (naturally filtering, rich in organic matter and non or slightly calcareous) give the fruit its organoleptic qualities.
