Day 73: Furano – Cheese Factory and Farm Tomita

Decided to try out the bus today instead of taking the train, so I headed out to the station to get myself a bus pass.

The Kururu Bus is a Hop-on-Hop-off bus, there are two routes and the pass is only available as a 2-day pass. Unfortunately the buses come like every 1.5hrs and runs only until like 4pm, so watch out for that. Otherwise the bus times are pretty accurate as with all Japanese transport, so you can plan everything beforehand!

Took the bus to my firat stop, the cheese factory!!! I can’t emphasize how much I love cheese so this is basically a pilgrimage for me.

Here’s the time table for the bus, I arrived at 09:19 and the next bus is 11:29, so 2hrs to waste at the cheese factory, yeaaaaaaah!!

The cheese factory doesn’t really look like a factory but is in fact a beautiful structure built for sightseeing.

Inside the cheese factory in a mini museum about cheese.

I love this interior! 😍

If you wanna try milking a cow, just put 100yen into this milking simulator. 😂🐮

The cheese factory holds a few classes everyday teaching ice cream making, butter making, bread making and of course cheese making. You can find the class time table on their website (bottom right corner), you just rock up and pay at the shop counter and head to the class!

Here’s a poster for butter making, but of course that’s not what I’m here for.

I’m here for cheese making!!! 😜👍👍👍

Here’s the “gaijin” version of the recipe they gave me. The instructors don’t speaking English but you’ll be fine even if you don’t speak Japanese.

All the ingredients are included, so you have your two bottles of fine Furano milk, a cup of heavy cream and a bit of lactic acid.

So first you pour in the milk and cream and stir while it’s heating up. They are really Nazi about it, like you MUST stir 20 times, no more, no less. What is this, Snape’s potions class?? Sheesh!

Then you put in the lactic acid and stir for a couple more times until it froths to spillage point and let it sit for a while.

While waiting, it’s time to decorate your own cheese container! 😂😂😂

So after the cheese has sat for a while, it’s become solid so pour it into this cloth thing to drain out the water.

Violently bash cheese into draining bowl to get rid of more water.

Use the spatula to get rid off all the lumps.

Eat some while you are at it. 😝😘

Make it into a little lump…

And put it in your container, VOILA!!! Your very own mascarpone cheese! The class only takes about an hour to complete and is a MUST for every cheese worshipper out there!

After cheese making, of course it’s time to check out the rest of the cheese factory and its fantastic cheese products!

Apparently they have cheese shampoo for sale… (Not for eating!)

 

Sampling squid ink cheese… Actually, doesn’t taste like squid ink…

 

This wine cheddar however, is a different story. Scent of wine and cheese mixed, mmm… Perfect.

 

Cheese jam, no sampling unfortunately. 😦

 

Cheese fondue sets! Reminds me of Switzerland… 😦

 

I love the architecture of this cheese factory! If I was rich, this is how I want my home to be like.

 

Time to dig into my Furano milk and cream waffle! 😀

 

Oh god this milk is so creamy it literally has a layer of thick cream at the top. Don’t forget to lick the cream off the cap! (And feel free to take the bottle home xD)

 

There is also a pizza shop made with their cheese, challenge accepted.

 

It’s good, but I still miss the pizzas from Italy.

 

Outside there is also a gelato factory, omg~~~~

 

Seems like there are a lot of flavours but they are just repeats, lol.

 

Ended up getting cheese and asparagus flavours. It tasted a BIT like cheese and asparagus, but the flavours aren’t that heavy.

 

 

Leaving the cheese factory now, boo~~~By the way, this is called the Cheese Park but has nothing to do with cheese, really.

To get to my next destination the famous Farm Tomita, I needed to take the Kururu bus back to Furano station and take the Kururu bus in the other route to go there. The route that goes to Farm Tomita is quite packed unlike the one that goes to the cheese factory. But I think they’ll send extra buses if it becomes full so there isn’t really a problem of overcrowding… Maybe. Not really sure. xD

 

Ladies and Gentlemen, welcome to the famous Farm Tomita!!!

 

As expected, the place is PACKED with tourists.

 

Purple, purple everywhere.

 

Yep, it’s just a hill of purple.

 

I don’t think the view gets more spectacular than this.

 

Look! A random poppy in the middle of the lavender field.

 

There’s actually a touching story behind Farm Tomita. Apparently back then everyone farmed edible stuff like radishes and Tomita was the only one farming lavenders. He was facing bankruptcy at one stage until a random photographer took a photo of his farm which ended up in some calendar and suddenly Farm Tomita became the biggest tourist destination in Japan, lol.

 

The famous lavender soft-serve of Farm Tomita! The first bite is like an explosion of lavender in your mouth, but it melts fast so eat fast!

 

Hey! I have these in my front yard at home!

 

After flower viewing, it’s time for some edible produces. What else is Hokkaido famous for? Well, basically every produce, lol. Well, melon is one of them.

 

Melonpan made from real melons! But I didn’t try one, there is only so much one can eat. 😦

 

Japanese is crazy about their melons and they can sell for really high prices.

 

A melon of perfection.

 

I think by looking at this shipping chart we already know which country’s tourists are the biggest international consumers, lol.

 

With the Kururu pass, you get a discount on your melon, and yes, it was the sweetest and juiciest melon I have ever had.

 

I also bought this white corn for ¥500, which is pretty expensive, but ZOMG IT WAS THE SWEETEST CORN I HAVE EVER TASTED!!! MUST TRY! (Sorry, I’m more of a corn-maniac than a melon-maniac)

 

After eating, time to burn off fat by exploring the other part of Farm Tomita.

 

Layers and laters of colour!

 

As I was strolling through this wonderful scenery, there was suddenly an announcement in Cantonese. “Susan! Susan! It’s me! I’m waiting for you where we peed together! Where we peed together!!!” Obviously the locals don’t know what’s going on, but you could here all the Canto people sniggering, haha.

 

Every flower is tenderly cared for and grown to perfection.

 

You would think that the whole lavender farm smells like lavender but it really doesn’t… Until I reached this lavender oil making plant. I think the lavender needs to be processed/crushed before it releases that soothing lavender smell we all love.

 

The perfect place to take that picture wearing a white dress! Too bad I was by myself… And also had a swollen face from hayfever. 😦

 

Once you make it to the top of the lavender hill the view is incredible.

 

I left Farm Tomita on the last Kururu bus and got off at Furano Marche, which is basically a small shopping centre selling local produces.

 

Souvenir shop packed with domestic tourists, you know how the Japanese love their omiyage, haha!

 

Souvenir box sets.

 

More melon-mania!

 

Apparently there is a Furano Marche 2, lol.

 

Even more melons.

 

…And flowers. By the way I love the decor here.

 

Bought a famous pizza stick and a guarana soda, pizza stick was so-so and the guarana soda… Tastes like medicine.

 

Saw this soy sauce flavoured ramen ice cream and couldn’t resist! It was actually pretty good! 😀 (And yes, it’s my third ice-cream today).

 

Dinner: chips dipped in homemade mascarpone cheese salt from Hallstatt salt mine salt. xDDD