Listen to this episode
The benefits of the apple
I’ve been waiting a long time for this episode!
We waited for the fifteenth issue to talk about the apple, the favorite fruit of the French. A heavy symbolism, from Eve to the garden of the Hesperides, through the brand of our computers, Isaac Newton or even Snow White.
The apple is the most popular fruit in France, far ahead of bananas and oranges. About 1.7 million tons of apples are harvested in France for an average consumption of 20 kg per year per household. Of which a small 10% are organic. 38% of the apples harvested in France are exported.
There are said to be more than 400 varieties in France, of which barely twenty are known and appreciated by the French.
An apple a day keeps the doctor away, as the proverb effectively tells us. The apple is considered one of the best foods in the world: it is rich in fibers, vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants.
Thus, it helps to strengthen the body and to fight against certain diseases of our civilization.
The guest: Daniel Sauvaitre
To talk openly and about apples, we are delighted to welcome Daniel Sauvaitre, whom I met a long time ago, in another life in the service of organic fruits and vegetables.
Daniel is an arborist and winemaker in Charentes and Dordogne, within a family association with Isabelle, Valérie, Victoria, Philippe, and Fabrice. Together, they cultivate 80 hectares of vineyards and 90 hectares of apple orchards, a few chestnut trees, walnut trees, and blueberries.
Daniel also presides over the association of Eco-responsible Orchards which brings together two-thirds of the apple and pear orchards in France. He is also the mayor of his commune, Reignac.
The questions
- You are an arborist; what does that mean? What does it imply? (Drought)
- Can you tell us in a few words the history of the apple from the mists of Central Asia?
- Tell us about the symbolism of the apple, between Snow White, Eve, and René Dumont …
- Why are you interested in apples? Why do you cultivate them?
- What are the current challenges for the apple industry in France?
- Which varieties are increasingly consumed? Which varieties should be better known?
- What apple tree to plant in one’s garden when one knows nothing about it?
- Is organic production continuing to increase?
- What are the numerous nutritional benefits of the apple?
- Are there any recent studies on the subject?
- We all know the proverb… How many apples should we eat each day? And at what time?
- Do you have an apple-based recipe that you would like to share with us?
