Yummy Memories

Okay, okay, so this blog has focused on food an awful lot of late, and can you blame me? Japan has some of the yummiest food. Ever.

I didn’t think it would be right not to share this with the world though, just because I think some of the best food in Japan is from Hokkaido.

One of the best places to go in Tokachi is the Happiness Dairy. It’s a family owned and run business, situated in the heart of wine country, and they make cheeses and fromage to complement the variety of wine from the area.

Happiness Dairy

Happiness Fromage

Satsuma-imo & Okome Icecream

They have a special flavour every month and September 2009 is Satsuma-imo, or Sweet Potato. I had a cup of Sweet Potato with Okome (rice) flavour on top! Both were delicious. Both the dairy and fromage (across the road from each other) have a cafe – restaurant, so even if you don’t want to eat something cold, you can have a meal or hot beverage. They have kid’s play equipment out the front to entertain the littlies too.

Another favourite food of mine when visiting Tokachi is Banana Manju. You can get them on board the Super Ozora express or from the store across from Ikeda station called Yonekura.

Freshly baked Banana Manju

This is what Banana Manju looks like

They are so yummy! 8 fingers in a box for 600 yen. Yasu picked ours up first thing in the morning which means they were freshly baked and steamed up the packaging. It didn’t matter because we ate them soon after that.

I guess you’re wondering why Banana Manju in Ikeda? Well it so happens that Ikeda is a frontier town, and when the pioners came to Ikeda, around that time, banana’s were so expensive, that only rich people could afford them. Well, I can’t remember the guys name, but he decided to make banana manju so that everyone, no matter how poor, could experience the feeling of having banana’s, and so banana manju was born. I think he was a pretty thoughtful guy, if only there were more like him today.

I realise some of you have already seen these photo’s on FB, but I thought others who come along might be interested.