Memo ParisKedu

Kedu, nicknamed ‘the garden of Java’, in Indonesia, is a plain encircled by a volcano. The soil is highly fertile thanks to the volcanic ash and is held sacred by the local people. Imposing green palms stand side by side with giant, colourful flowers. In the distance rises Borobudur, a mythical place, and a place of prayer. Each May, Buddhist monks celebrate the birth of Buddha here with a ritual filled with flowers (freesia), incense and seeds. By casting sesame seeds into the fire, they purify themselves. Each seed represents one of the human passions, and enlightenment is reached only by casting off these ‘earthly chains’. The scent of roasted sesame seed rises to the heavens. The dry note of the seeds, a symbol of long life, gives the Kedu fragrance an added accent to the sparkling freshness of grapefruit.