There is a very welcome competition in Shizuoka City when it comes to cheese, both from Japan and abroad, because of the awareness created by Keiko Kubota at Gentil.
Now, I have the luck to be very friendly with the owner of Nagashima Liqueur Shop in Shizuoka City who spent a long time studying in France. As a wine lover, he is very fond of cheese and retails a few very well-chosen ones in his shop.

These days he is introducing a series of delicious raw milk (unusual in Japan till recently) from Hokkaido.
Last night I had the pleasure to taste them at home at last:

Top left: Sasa no Yuki
Top right: Koban
Bottom Left: Sakura
Bottom right: Raclette

Sasa no Yuki means Bamboo Grass Snow. Such short ban\mboo grass are found everywhere in Japan and have been used for eons to wrap food. A bamboo grass is “wrapped” around the cheese reminiscent of the French Feuille de Dreux Cheese.
Mild Camembert type, very easy to eat on some great toasted bread!
It is the size of a Camembert, 250g and like all these cheeses is exclusively made form Cow’s raw milk with the addtion of a little salt.
All four cheeses can aged at home.

Koban is another soft type cheese reminiscent of Pave and Camembert in France. Very mild and easy on the palate.
Weight: 150 g

Sakura/Cherry Blossom is considered as the best Japanese creation when it comes to cheese. It received prizes all over the World, especially Germany, and was served at the last G8 Meeting in Hokkaido!
Weight: 90g
Served with a cherry blossom pickled in salt.
Reminiscent of Saint-Marcellin, but slightly milder, it is extremely elegant and complex.
Can be matured at will!
A discovery!

Raclette. made in the same way as Swiss and French Raclette, it is milder and great heated and flowing on brea, as a Fondue, as it is or toatsed on muffins!
It had been matured for 3 months.
Won the Best Japanese Cheese Contest in 1998.
Weight: 200g per cut.

Nagashima Saketen
Address:
420 Shizuoka City, Aoi Ku,Ryuunan, 1-12-7
Tel.: 054-2459260
Fax: 054-2459252
(Japanese Blog)

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(Courtesy of Shizuoka Shimbun)

Shizuoka Prefecture produces 50% of all green tea grown in Japan.
“Shinsha”/New Tea is being harvested in earnest and sold after a long wait!

Picture above shows tea being handpicked in Kawane, Shimada City, home of some of the best green tea in Jaapn, along the railway line used by the Oikawa Steam Locomotive, one of the very few left in Japan!

Tea is being dry-roasted (picture left bottom) , and auctioned (picture right bottom) in Shizuoka City.

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The new green tea season has just opened in Shizuoka Prefecture!
Our Prefecture produces more than half of all green tea harvested in Japan and is the leader not only in quantity but also in quality!

If you happen to stop at Shizuoka JR Railway Station, keep an eye open!

The MOTOYAMA Tea Growers Association is offering a free tasting of their new tea to all and sundries!
New tea is called “Shinsha” (New Tea) or “Ichiban cha” (First Tea) in Japanese.
A great occasion to make acquaintance with Japanese Nationla Beverage!

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Please check the new postings at:
sake, shochu and sushi

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日本語のブログ
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