Herb expert raising interests in greens
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Oh Heon-sik, editor of the Farmers Newspaper
By Ko Dong-hwan
A journalist is gaining fame as an herb expert.
He recently wrote a book, “Mountain Herbs, Ground Herbs,” a colorful short encyclopedia about herbs targeting young readers.
“Many illustrated plant books are already out there in stores, but most of them scare away readers with textbook-style rigidness,” said Oh Heon-sik, an editor of the Farmers Newspaper.
Published by Non Jang, which specializes in children’s content, the book is well-balanced between illustrations, photographs and text written in an easy, storytelling style.
Oh’s book is easy to read and fun to flip through. But publishing a non-challenging, visually attractive book wasn’t his primary goal.
He said since children’s eating habits often determine their diets for the rest of their lives, they should be introduced to healthier foods like herbs.
“My children don’t know much about herbs,” said Oh in an interview with The Korea Times on Tuesday. He is the father of two sons in middle school.
“They probably know, at best, lettuces and perilla leaves, which are popular side dishes for the Korean barbeque they like. Knowing the names is the first big step for kids to develop their curiosity about herbs.”
Oh’s dedication to herbs started along with his reporter career at the Farmers Newspaper in 1993. Aside from growing up in Yeongyang County, North Gyeongsang Province, he spent a lot of time in the countryside conducting interviews for company articles.
He grew increasingly fond of the region’s herbs, and then his love of nature basically drove his life, writing contributory articles about herbs for other news outlets and spending weekends on mountains with his camera slung around the neck.
“My wife was piqued whenever I brought home a bunch of herbs from the mountains because it was all hers to work on,” recalled Oh. “But, while they take little effort to cook, people usually like them when they are served on dining tables. I witnessed that from my wife.”
Oh glorifies herbs. He suggests crouching down on a level with them to take a closer look at their natural beauty. He wishes mountain trekkers took extra time to pay more attention to the ever-changing nearby herbs rather than just rushing toward the mountain peaks.
The journalist hopes children read his book and feed on soul foods inspired by each herb. “Strong, endurable Asian plantain is pertinacious for life, and water celery is named after its nature of favoring a water environment,” said Oh. “Their names and characteristics, once understood, offer something of human stories.”
He was, however, hesitant to admit he pioneered making children’s food tables greener, and the eager publisher and illustrator for his book, Park Eun-ji, helped him stick to the ambition.
Three years as an editor of a monthly youth magazine, “Kids Park,” from 2010 to 2012 also sharpened his personal passion for the book.
Oh expressed hope people will take greater interest in herbs by reading his book. It was borne out of his concerns for those not able to tell what kind of cooked herbs they’re putting in their mouths, as well as today’s growing number of children hoping to become chefs.
The book is intended for readers of all ages, with pictures of 40 different herbs, each taken periodically from a burgeoning sprout to a full-blown flower, and simple recipes recommended for each herb.