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Korean professor devotes book to durian in 'Happy Yummy Journey'
In her 2003 dissertation, Korean professor Eje Kimsaid she discovered the treasure of her life: the Indonesian durian.
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Jakarta offers a wide variety of durian, including peeled durian, durian pancake, durian juice, durian ice cream and durian sambal. (Shutterstock/File)
E
je Kim, 46, a geography expert from Seoul National University, South Korea, has traveled the world to conduct research. In her 2003 dissertation, she said she discovered the treasure of her life: the Indonesian durian. She flies to the archipelago almost on a monthly basis to indulge in the succulent king of fruits.
Her first visit to Indonesia dates back to more than 20 years ago. She often takes her family to look for durian in different cities or even forests. Eje recalled that one of her favorite moments was when she enjoyed the fruit together with orangutans at Tangkahan forest, Central Kalimantan.
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“The sweetest moment was when I ran into a group of orangutans eating durian. How they loved the fruit! My child and I even tried their durian,” Eje told kompas.com during the launch of her book Happy Yummy Journey at Gramedia Central Park Jakarta on Feb. 10.
Her love for durian not only led her to achieve academic excellence, but it also resulted in her book being translated into several languages.
Happy Yummy Journey is about her adventures to ASEAN countries for durian tasting and interacting with locals. Eje points out in her book that happiness can come from simple things, such as eating durian. She also promotes women's empowerment against certain social systems, and how she feels fortunate to live in a society that appreciates women.
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The professor wraps up the book by saying that durian is a magical fruit that heals stress and brings happiness. But the most important thing is that “Indonesian durian is of a large variety and the most delicious, so you all should be grateful to be Indonesians.”
Happy Yummy Journey is now available in book stores and online stores for Rp 115,000 (US$8.42). (mut)
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