Cheddar Cheese, in Zao
In south Miyagi, about 45 minutes from Sendai is the area of Zao, a mountainous region that feels like it’s own self-contained theme park, home to hot springs, ski resorts, the infamous Fox Village and it’s own dairy farm.
Japan is well known for being generally lactose intolerant, and henceforth, unfortunately, there is a worrying lack of cheese throughout the country. So when I heard Zao was home to a prominent cheese factory, I had to go and see if it was actually real.
And it was!
The site of the cheese factory contains a range of shops including the “Cheese Cabin”, a shop stocking every manner of cheese good possible (including makeup containing cheese whey!), the “Cheese Shed”, a restaurant where you can enjoy a variety of cheese dishes, such as cheese fondue, as well as the factory itself.
Entering the Cheese Cabin I was amazed at the range of cheese related products across the store, but perhaps most amazed at the sight of cheddar cheese in all it’s glory!
I left with a packet of “Milk Cubes”, sliced cubes of cheddar cheese, as well as some Red cheddar cheese. The cheddar cheese cubes had been eaten before I’d even left the car park. They tasted great – albeit relatively mild in flavour, which isn’t a surprise, again, given Japan (and the far east in general) is for the most part, a lactose intolerant culture.
But if you’re in the Zao area, most likely to visit Fox Village, then I recommend stopping off at the ‘Cheese Cabin’ and buying some real, genuine cheese, freshly produced in the mountains of Zao!
Shop: The Cheese Cabin
Address: 〒989-0916 Miyagi Prefecture, Katta District, Zao-machi, Togattaonsen, Nanokahara−２５１−４
