Module 2
Fruits & Communication
A delivered message certainly does not have the same meaning for everyone – different interpretations of all participants in a conversation should always be taken into account. It is also important to create awareness of this when dealing with customers – customer service is becoming increasingly important in order to win walk-in customers as regular customers in the long term. A large portion of self-confidence in the communication with both customers and superiors or trainees makes you top fit.
The expert Dr. Michaela Ritter from the office for perspective management will deal with various conflict and customer contact situations in an interactive way. Furthermore, the connections between the spoken word, body language and the ultimately understood message will be revealed in an exciting way. This module invites you to benefit both professionally and privately.
No other diet offers so much material for discussion and is such a highly emotional topic as vegetarianism. A wide variety of reasons motivate people – depending on the form of vegetarianism – to give up meat, dairy products, eggs or even all animal products. Currently, about 8% of the Austrian population belongs to this dietary movement – and the trend is rising!
Prim. Dr. Meinrad Lindschinger (Institut for nutrition and metabolic illnesses), the scientific director of the Fruit & Vegetable Academy, will judge the advantages and disadvantages of vegetarianism from a medical view. The quality of fruit and vegetables as well as incompatibilities and allergies will be closely examined. The focus will also be on new nutritional trends such as functional eating®. Which type of fruit has which health benefits and how do I best combine them to achieve the maximum benefit and added value for me? And do bananas really make you happy? This and many other bizarre nutritional misconceptions about fruit and vegetables will be uncovered.
Citrus fruits
True to the motto “sour makes you happy”, the shiny citrus fruits cheer up especially our cold months. No wonder, since they are tasty, juicy and rich in nutrients! Around 15 kg of oranges, lemons, tangerines and their “relatives” are eaten by Austrians every year.
In this module, your knowledge about these popular vitamin bombs will be expanded with new information. The team of experts led by MMag. Elisabeth Schrammel and Mag. Anna Katharina Luidold (University of Graz) will explain and illustrate what citrus fruits have to do with Alexander the Great, perfume, Christopher Columbus, James Cook, Portuguese sailors, China and medical remedies. You will also learn which of the colorful little fruits particularly enhance the flavor of meat, fish and vegetables and how to get the best out of them.
Exotics & Specialties
You have no idea what kind of fruit Babaco, breadfruit, cherimoya, mangosteen and rambutan are? That will change after the module EXOTICS & SPECIALITIES. The tasty exotics have become more and more famous in our country during the last decades. These are not only an incredible eye candy but also surprise you with true taste explosions.
MMag. Elisabeth Schrammel and Mag. Anna Katharina Luidold (University of Graz) will take you on an exotic round trip and share their expert knowledge about history, origin, quality assurance and differences in taste. In addition to extensive knowledge about the already “naturalized” exotics such as mango, avocado, papaya and persimmon, you will be taught what to eat of the appealing exotics from the supermarket, how they are eaten and what they are especially suitable for.
Stone fruit & pears
Peaches, apricots, plums, cherries and pears – the thought of these local and regional fruits truly makes our mouths water. They sweeten our summer and autumn and the storable pears provide vitamin boosts even in winter. The soft skin around the hard core deserves particularly gentle handling.
The experts DI Dr. Lothar Wurm (Höhere Bundeslehranstalt und Bundesamt für Wein- und Obstbau Klosterneuburg), DI Dr. Leonhard Steinbauer (Amt der Steiermärkischen Landesregierung, Abteilung 10 Land- und Forstwirtschaft, Versuchsstation Obst- und Weinbau Haidegg) and DI Anna Brugner (Kern- und Steinobstberatung der Landeskammer für Land- und Forstwirtschaft Steiermark) will explain the correct cultivation and gentle handling. Both stone fruit and pears have a remarkable range of varieties thanks to their origin and history. Therefore, their individual variety characteristics and their ideal use in the kitchen are highlighted.
Grapes & other soft fruit
Bananas, tomatoes and peppers are berries – but by no means soft fruits like strawberries, raspberries and other small species. Austria currently supplies the market with fresh, sweet berries on about 1900 hectares of cultivated land.
Grapes already have a long history in Austria. And they have much more to offer than being the cornerstone of wine production – the variety of grapes is immense.
MMag. Elisabeth Schrammel and Mag. Anna Katharina Luidold (University of Graz) will give a lecture on grapes and soft fruits and show you the way from the field to the customer. These precious luxury goods deserve appropriate handling to keep their reputation high – You can also do your part to ensure quality and preserve appreciation!
Tropical fruits
Today, it is impossible to imagine everyday life without tropical fruits such as bananas, pineapples and kiwis. Self-evident facts are questioned, surprising facts and exciting knowledge are offered. The focus is especially on bananas – the oldest cultivated plant of mankind. Are you wondering why bananas ripen, but pineapples or watermelons do not?
Expert DI Gunar Nakladal (Frutura Fruit & Vegetable Competence Center) will explain in more detail the distinction between climacteric and non-climacteric fruit. The importance of tropical fruits among the fruit species will be pointed out, their long ways from the south to our markets will be explained and the recognition of diseases and defects will be illustrated. Knowledge of proper handling at the point of sale rounds out the informational content.
