I'm Biggie: avid cook, speedy lunch packer, mom in San Francisco, & former expat fluent in Japanese. 
How to make zig-zag kiwi fruit
My series on simple garnishes for bento lunches continues with kiwi fruit. Kiwi fruit is high in vitamin C and can be found in both green and gold (more yellow and citrus-tasting than green). I usually cut kiwi into large cubes, but a reader suggested I try slicing one in half and sending along a spoon. This is appealing because when I cut kiwi into wedges, the fruit often turns a little translucent and softens in transit — keeping it mostly whole helps it retain its original character.
A simply cut kiwi is already visually interesting, but I got a kick out of this style when I ran across it in a Japanese bento cookbook. It took about one minute to cut, which is not unreasonable in the morning if you’re looking to change things up a bit. Add it to your repertoire with apple rabbits and decorative banana wedges! (Click here for the how-to…)
With a small paring knife, make small zig-zag cuts along the middle of the kiwi fruit to the center. Once you’ve cut all the way around, the halves will come apart easily but the center will look a bit untidy.
Looking around for something to act as a tiny melon baller, I settled on a quarter teaspoon measuring spoon with a rounded bowl, but you could also use a small tasting spoon (or a proper little melon baller). Scoop out one or two little balls from the center of the kiwi and just turn them over so the round part is on top. You’re done!
FURTHER READING:
- Decorative Food on Lunch in a Box (main page)
- Rabbit-shaped apple wedges
- Decorative banana wedges
- Biggie’s list of top speed tips, tutorials and equipment reviews
January 17th, 2008 | Categories: glutenfree, lactose free, tips, tutorial or how to, vegetarian | 
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January 17th, 2008 at 1:46 pm
We used to do this with tomatoes too.
January 17th, 2008 at 2:11 pm
Looks cute! You know, my friend’s girlfriend purchased a Christmas gift for me, a book on garnishes, which employ a lot of methods you could translate to other veggies or fruits. I wonder…
January 17th, 2008 at 2:59 pm
I’ve actually never had kiwi cut in chunks before–I always just cut it in half, but this is an interesting way to make it different!
January 17th, 2008 at 3:51 pm
Great idea! Kids do seem to enjoy spooning the kiwi out of its fuzzy skin and I like the added decoration. I have a fluting knife perfect for this!
January 17th, 2008 at 8:28 pm
Hi Biggie- I just have to tell you what a fabulous site you have here! I don’t have children, and had never thought about bento lunches, but have found myself reading through all your archives, drooling over your great photos and thinking that I want to be a cool mom like you someday
Thanks for sharing all your great ideas and hard work.
January 17th, 2008 at 10:36 pm
@1 from Rachel: You know, I guess I’ve seen tomatoes like that before, but it never occurred to me to use the same technique on fruits like kiwi.
January 17th, 2008 at 10:39 pm
@2 from Yvo: A book on garnishing sounds like fun as long as the garnishes aren’t crazy complicated. I’m not up for spending lots of time on fruit carving…
January 17th, 2008 at 10:40 pm
@3 from Helena: I cut kiwi into chunks to make it easier for little hands (especially when Bug was one or two years old), but now he’s better with utensils and can scoop out a kiwi. Woo hoo! Developing coordination good…
January 17th, 2008 at 10:42 pm
@4 from Amber: Ah, a fluting knife would be perfect for this! Good idea.
January 17th, 2008 at 10:45 pm
@5 from Jen: Thanks for the kind words, Jen, and welcome to the bento fold! Please feel free to ask questions and leave comments even on old posts; I try to keep up with all comments via the Recent Comments widget in the right sidebar.
January 18th, 2008 at 1:26 pm
Biggie,
I’ve been following your blog for a couple of weeks now. It’s very inspiring and your tips are very helpful. My husbands always talking about how his coworkers wife is always cooking for him. I’ve decided to start packing him “pretty” lunches.
-Sharon J.
January 18th, 2008 at 1:42 pm
@11 from Sharon J.: Uh oh, has he thrown down a challenge? You can win with man-friendly bentos, I’m sure!
January 19th, 2008 at 8:55 am
I am absolutely speechless, struck by the beauty of that zig-zag kiwi - YUM!!!! I love Kiwis, so the zig-zag slicing method will only make them look prettier and more tantalizing :0)
January 19th, 2008 at 1:35 pm
Biggie, just want to say I’m a huge fan and you’re so inspiring! I found your blog and started making bento lunches for my husband, and we went to Ichiban-Kan yesterday and cleaned up thanks to your recommendations. We are complete bento converts…long live the bento!
January 19th, 2008 at 4:50 pm
I’ve been wanting to write for awhile to thank you for keeping me busy with lots of cool and awesome posts to look at and learn about while at home ALL of December recuperating from hip surgery! My psyche and well-being thank you!! ^__^
Now that I’m back at work, I can dust off all of my bentos and get to packing them!
January 20th, 2008 at 4:19 pm
Wow,
More interesting looking fruits!
January 20th, 2008 at 4:31 pm
@13 from VeggieGirl: Glad you like the kiwi, VeggieGirl! After I took this photo I just kept going back to look at it — it really pulled me in. What’s that saying? Even a blind squirrel finds a nut now and then?
January 20th, 2008 at 5:44 pm
@14 from Satya: Thanks for the kind comment, Satya, and glad you got a chance to visit Ichiban Kan! Their inventory changes regularly, so you might want to check back periodically to see what other bento-related items they have in stock. They’re always priced lower than anywhere else (including Daiso).
January 20th, 2008 at 5:46 pm
@15 from tania: I’m tickled that you browsed my blog while you were laid up, and even happier that you’re back on your feet again, tania! Happy recovery, and happy bento-ing!
January 20th, 2008 at 5:47 pm
@16 from Cindy: Yup, I thought this was a fun one! Cool-looking but still simple to make.
January 21st, 2008 at 11:32 am
Once my brother gave me the set of measuring spoons that are label, a “dash”, “pinch” and “smidgen” they would be perfect for balling the center. They also make easy of seeding cucumbers and one has a now permanent home as the fish food dispenser.
-KCatGU
January 25th, 2008 at 2:52 pm
There is a special tool you might want to look out for to cut the time for this in half. Its recommended for eggs, but I think could be used on fruits and veg too. http://cgi.ebay.com.au/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&rd=1&item=370011963107
January 25th, 2008 at 4:58 pm
@22 from Metanoia: Thanks for the link, Metanoia! I have my doubts about this product (although I haven’t played with it). It looks like it just provides a guideline for the zig-zag cuts instead of cutting it for you — I’m pretty handy with a knife so that wasn’t a problem for me. Also, some kiwifruit is shaped oddly and might not fit nicely in the egg mold. Still, it’s an interesting tool.
January 25th, 2008 at 5:01 pm
@21 from KCatGU: That’s a good use for those odd measuring spoons! My dad’s girlfriend gave me a set of those and I’ve got to confess to not using them… (shh!)
September 19th, 2008 at 2:12 am
aaaaaaaaaa haaaaaaaaaaa……nice cutting
I have seen it before….but not that much cool shaping……
September 19th, 2008 at 2:17 am
wooooooooooooooooooooo……really a nice one…i have seen this type of cutting in tomato….not in a fruit….kiwiiii
February 24th, 2009 at 9:18 am
[...] don’t have to. Do like me: chop it in half and eat with a spoon or bite into it. Plus, you could: Zig-Zag Kiwi I put down my work just for this post. Must have been damn important to me. Feel special. lol, [...]
November 16th, 2009 at 5:37 am
[...] Links pour vous (in case you want to jump on the bandwagon, or maybe you just want to learn how to cut your kiwis into zig-zags): [...]
December 29th, 2009 at 11:29 pm
i love kiwi fruit for salad fruit