Kiwi, sometimes called kiwifruit, is instantly recognizable for its fuzzy brown skin and bright green flesh dotted with tiny black seeds arranged around a pale center. It grows on woody, climbing vines that require a sturdy trellis or support structure, and the plants thrive in temperate climates with mild winters. The fruit itself is oval and roughly the size of a large egg, with a texture that softens as it ripens.
Kiwi vines are vigorous growers and need both male and female plants nearby to produce fruit, since most varieties do not self-pollinate. Once established, a single vine can produce a large harvest each season, with fruit typically picked while still firm and left to ripen further off the plant. This makes kiwi a fairly reliable crop for home gardeners who have the space to accommodate its sprawling growth habit.
Nutritionally, kiwi is well known for its high vitamin C content, along with a good amount of fiber and potassium. Its flavor is a distinctive mix of tart and sweet, often compared to a blend of strawberry, banana, and pineapple, and the edible skin, seeds, and flesh mean the whole fruit can be eaten with minimal preparation. Sliced kiwi is commonly used in fruit salads, smoothies, and as a garnish because of its vivid green color and eye-catching seed pattern.
Because of its unique combination of fuzzy skin, oval shape, and speckled green interior, kiwi can sometimes bring other fruits to mind, either because of a similar exterior or a similar look once cut open. Some of these lookalikes share a botanical connection, while others simply resemble kiwi due to size, texture, or color.
Fruits That Look Like Kiwi
Kiwi Berries
Kiwi berries are essentially a smaller, smooth-skinned version of standard kiwi, grown on a closely related vine. They lack the fuzzy exterior entirely, with skin that can be eaten without peeling, but the green flesh and ring of tiny black seeds inside look almost identical to a regular kiwi once sliced. Their flavor is similar too, though often a touch sweeter due to their smaller size and thinner skin.
Passionfruit
Passionfruit has a very different exterior from kiwi, but once cut open, its pulp shares a comparable look, with numerous small seeds suspended in a soft, juicy flesh. The color leans more yellow-orange than green, but the scattered-seed pattern is reminiscent of a sliced kiwi. Its flavor is intensely tart and aromatic, quite different from the milder sweetness of kiwi.
Prickly Pears
Prickly pears, the fruit of certain cactus species, have a similarly oval shape and a textured, sometimes spiky outer skin that can loosely resemble unpeeled kiwi from a distance. Inside, the flesh is dotted with small, hard seeds spread throughout a soft, juicy pulp, echoing the speckled interior of a kiwi. Their flavor is sweet and mildly tangy, often compared to a mix of watermelon and bubblegum.
Figs
Figs share a soft, seed-flecked interior similar to kiwi, with tiny edible seeds distributed throughout a sweet, jammy flesh. While the exterior of a fig is smoother and more teardrop-shaped than a kiwi, a halved fig can visually echo the scattered-seed look of sliced kiwi. Their flavor is rich and honeyed, without the tartness that defines most kiwi varieties.
Dragon Fruit
Dragon fruit, particularly the white-fleshed variety, has a striking resemblance to kiwi once sliced, with small black seeds scattered evenly throughout pale flesh. The outer skin is completely different, being bright pink or yellow with leathery scales, but the interior pattern draws frequent comparisons to kiwi. Its flavor is much milder and less tart, often described as subtly sweet.
Custard Apples
Custard apples have a bumpy, textured skin that can bring to mind the fuzzy exterior of a kiwi, especially before the fruit is fully ripe. Inside, the flesh is soft and segmented with scattered black seeds, offering a passing resemblance to kiwi’s speckled interior. Their flavor is rich and tropical, often compared to a blend of banana and pineapple rather than the tart brightness of kiwi.
Gooseberries
Gooseberries are much smaller than kiwi, but their round to oval shape and translucent, veined skin can create a similar visual impression, particularly with certain green varieties. Some types even have a light fuzz on the skin, adding to the resemblance. Their flavor is notably more tart and sharp than kiwi, and they are often used in pies and preserves rather than eaten fresh.
Feijoas
Feijoas have a smooth, oval shape similar in size to kiwi, though their skin is green and waxy rather than fuzzy. Once cut open, the soft, slightly granular flesh with a jelly-like center offers a texture reminiscent of a very ripe kiwi. Their flavor is aromatic and tropical, often described as a mix of pineapple, guava, and mint.
Sapodillas
Sapodillas share a similar oval shape and rough, brownish skin that can resemble kiwi from the outside, especially before the fruit is peeled. The flesh inside is soft and grainy, with a few large seeds rather than the many tiny seeds found in kiwi. Their flavor is deeply sweet, often compared to brown sugar or caramel.
Star Fruit (Underripe)
Underripe star fruit, before it turns fully yellow, has a green, slightly waxy skin that can share a passing color similarity with kiwi. While its shape is quite different once viewed whole, cross-sections of star fruit reveal a pattern of small seeds within pale green flesh that can be loosely compared to sliced kiwi. Its flavor is crisp and tart, closer to a mix of apple and citrus.