Our go-to ingredient for vibrant smoothies and picture-perfect tarts, tangy kiwis are as equally delicious in a spicy margarita (seriously, try it) as they are eaten on their own with just a spoon. But get ready to have your mind blown, because it turns out that all that slicing, dicing, peeling and scooping is totally unnecessary.
So wait, can you eat kiwi skin? Absolutely. We discovered this when a friend casually chomped down on one at a park picnic, but the California Kiwifruit Commission (yep, that’s a thing) totally backs her up. It says, “The kiwifruit skin is completely edible and makes this nutrient-dense fruit even more nutritious.”
And people do this because…? It’s easier, there’s no waste and you heard the Commission—the kiwi’s skin is good for you (one study found that the peel has three times the amount of fiber as the flesh). Which is pretty impressive, since the inside of a kiwi is already chock-full of nutrients including almost twice the amount of vitamin C as an orange (essential for repairing tissue and great for glowing skin) plus more potassium than a banana (vital for heart health and muscle function). That’s one powerful fruit.
Nutritious, sure. But is it delicious? The skin’s fuzz might put off some people, but others say it’s similar to that of a peach. In terms of flavor, the peel pretty much just tastes like the inside—fresh and slightly tart.