"Chinese gooseberry" is the lesser-known name for the kiwifruit, a popular subtropical fruit that became well known around the world in the 1950s, when it began to be exported from New Zealand on a large scale.  This fruit has a characteristic tart, acidic flavor and pulpy green flesh.  The fruits are also sometimes called kiwi fruits, or simply kiwis.  Whatever consumers call it, they can also be grown at home in temperate climates.  Beginning in the 1950s, the fruit started to be exported to various countries around the world, including the United States.  New Zealand growers changed the name of the fruit to “melonette,” due to concerns about Cold War hostilities between the United States and China that might make a "Chinese" fruit unappealing to the American market.  American importers did not like the name, however, leading New Zealand growers to suggest the alternate name of kiwifruit, which quickly caught on.  Mary McMahon   https://www.delightedcooking.com/what-is-a-chinese-gooseberry.htm   

Balkans, also called Balkan Peninsula, is the easternmost of Europe’s three great southern peninsulas.  There is not universal agreement on the region’s components.  The Balkans are usually characterized as comprising Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Kosovo, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Romania, Serbia, and Slovenia—with all or part of each of those countries located within the peninsula.  Portions of Greece and Turkey are also located within the geographic region generally defined as the Balkan Peninsula, and many descriptions of the Balkans include those countries too.  See map at https://www.britannica.com/place/Balkans   

Lepinja (Balkan Flatbread) Total Time: 2 hrs 50 mins Servings: 12 Yield: 1 loaf  https://www.allrecipes.com/recipe/214925/lepinja-balkan-flatbread/   

Osage-orange can now be found in all 48 contiguous states.  Its widespread distribution was supported by its boundless adaptability to wide-ranging environmental conditions and its use for several utilitarian purposes.  Trees were planted as living fences prior to the development of barbed wire.  Dense, crossing branches and sharp spines growing from the leaf axils discouraged livestock from crossing close-planted hedges.  It was also one of the primary trees used in Works Progress Administration (WPA) programs aimed at preventing soil erosion.  Thousands of miles of Osage-orange shelterbelts were planted throughout the 1930s as part of WPA soil stabilization efforts.  Finally, a number of stubborn myths have grown-up around Osage-orange such as the fruits being capable of repelling insects and spiders.  Research has debunked the insect repellency claim.  Joe Boggs  https://bygl.osu.edu/node/625   

Bitter orange, Sour Orange, Seville orange, bigarade orange, or marmalade orange is the citrus tree Citrus × aurantium and its fruit.  It is native to Southeast Asia and has been spread by humans to many parts of the world.  It is probably a cross between the pomelo, Citrus maxima, and the mandarin orange, Citrus reticulata.  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bitter_orange           

Blood oranges grow on citrus trees in warm, temperate climates.  In the U.S., they are mostly grown in California and Florida and then shipped around the country. The fruit can be eaten as is, juiced, or used in baked goods, cocktails, salads, or other dishes that call for oranges.   Blood oranges are sweeter than other oranges. Their juice is delicious, but because it is quite a bit sweeter than classic orange juice, it ferments quickly and should be used or drunk the same day it's juiced. Molly Watson  Link to recipes at https://www.thespruceeats.com/all-about-blood-oranges-2216770   

I feel fairly certain that my hatred harms me more than the people whom I hate. - Max Frisch, architect, playwright, and novelist (15 May 1911-1991)   

On May 16, 1960 American engineer and physicist Theodore Maiman successfully fired the first laser.

On May 17, 1865 the International Telecommunication Union was founded.   

http://librariansmuse.blogspot.com  Issue 2671  May 17, 2023