Seasonal range

In many guidebooks on sustainable or environmentally friendly nutrition, the authors recommend buying and eating seasonally produced food. As with the term "regional", we would like to explain briefly, what seasonality is all about.

The time when almost all fruits and vegetables are particularly abundantly available is called "being in season". This time normally corresponds to the classic harvest times in domestic open-air cultivation. This also applies to most exotic fruits from abroad.

Why is it worth paying attention to when different vegetables and fruits are in season?

Seasonal products are often also produced regionally, which is a clear advantage in terms of freshness and flavour intensity and avoids long transport routes and thus harmful climate gases.

Further advantages are:

• Low prices due to the large supply in a relatively short time.

• In the best case, by buying seasonal, regional fruit and vegetables you will support regional agriculture and thus the local cultural landscape.

• Due to the limited time of availability, we enjoy food more consciously and have a greater appreciation for it.

What does our university catering do for this topic?

In our dining halls and bistros, you will find seasonal menus for summer and winter. These take into account the fruit and vegetables available at that particular time of year, both locally and nationally.

A classic on our summer seasonal menu is asparagus. This always comes fresh from the surrounding Hessian growing areas, as do our picked salads.

If you want to learn more about seasonal nutrition, we recommend the information pages of the Federal Centre for Nutrition.