It’s freaky that I just arrived in Kanazawa and this video showed up on my playlist! But I’m glad it did. There is good information here, and not just about ice cream.
I really need to up my cycling game. It's amazing how many things you can see on a day trip like that! Next weekend my wife and I are riding around Hamanako in Shizuoka prefecture an hour or so from where I live. I'll be on the lookout for ice cream! As always, very inspiring 🙂
That sounds like a really fun trip! I wonder if there's a lot of matcha ice cream in Hamanako with all the tea in Shizuoka 😄I've never been to Hamanako before- is there a bike lane around the lake? I hope you both have a great time!
@@AnniewhereAndEverywhere There is a bike lane around half of the ride. Most of the other half is OK since it hugs the side of the lake and the busy roads are a bit further away. It's really only about 10 km where the traffic is annoying. It's quite an easy ride -- almost pan flat. They have been repairing some typhoon damage for the last while and there were detours. However, I think everything is open now (I guess I'll find out on the weekend). I'll definitely keep my eyes open for matcha ice cream. I live right in the tea growing region of the prefecture so I eat it pretty frequently -- but you really can't have too much matcha ice cream!
@@urouroniwa Gotcha, that's cool to know! Hopefully the typhoon repairs are finished for your ride. That makes sense about eating/drinking matcha a lot haha - maybe there will be some other fun flavors there!
Does the milk in Japan taste different from that of the US? Or in different regions of Japan for that matter? Do the dairy cows have any special genetics (e.g. A1 or A2 beta casein) given that dairy products were not part of the traditional Japanese diet? What is the typical fat content of milk in grocery stores? Everything is so aesthetic in those ice cream shops!
I haven't noticed any taste difference but I'm not sure to be honest. You're right that dairy products weren't really a traditional part of the diet, and it is still hard for me to find a wide variety of cheese especially in our local grocery stores. There's a lot of soy milk and "milk product" which I don't understand the contents of, but I hadn't heard of A2 milk. I found an article about it though from January (english.agrinews.co.jp/?p=10755) so it looks like Japan is maybe trying to adopt A2 milk as an option but it isn't mainstream yet. This article does a good job of explaining the fat content of milk in the stores: www.simplyoishii.com/milk.html
@@AnniewhereAndEverywhere It says 3.6% butter fat for whole milk. So, it is pretty similar to North America and Europe. Must be using Holsteins. Sometimes when the cows are grass fed, the type of grass can supposedly affect the colour and taste of the milk and butter, so that's why I was asking. A2 beta casein still not that popular so I think it is also the same in Japan. (I'm an ag. economist by training, and have a casual interest in food and agriculture!)
It depends, if I'm in the countryside or just popping in somewhere (like running into a convenience store or something) I usually just leave it alone and don't worry about it. If I'm in a busy place and have to leave my bike in a bike parking area and walk away to the shop, or if I'll be gone for a while, then I'll lock it up. I have a small lock that fits in a handlebar bag or jersey pocket which is convenient
