Shiroi Koibito Park: Cookies + Chocolate!

Fiona and I worked hard this weekend getting everything we could possibly think of down on our Sapporo bucket list. I'm sure we'll continue to add to it, but with only 50 days left in Sapporo and 27 items already on the list, I can tell this summer is going to FLY.

It was Fiona's turn to chose our adventure yesterday, and she only took about 3 seconds before picking Shiroi Koibito Park; "I want to go to the cookie and chocolate factory!!"

Shiroi Koibito are cookies that have become Japan's second ranke d souvenir in recent years. They are made from white chocolate sandwiched between two thin, European style biscuit cookie known as "langue de chat" (cat tongue - referencing their traditional shape, although the souvenir version in Japan are actually square) made of egg white, sugar, milk, and flour. According to my research, a visit to Shiroi Koibito Park would allow a tour of the factory plus the opportunity to make and decorate your own sandwich cookie.

A short 15 minute train ride from our apartment and we arrived. Seconds after we spotted the factory, the air was filled with the aroma of baking cookies. They smelled delicious!

The minute we set food inside the gates to the factory it felt like we had been transported to Willy Wonka's chocolate factory! The places was amazing - dozens of miniature, kid-sized houses with intricate miniature furniture; hourly musical "puppet shows" that had moving characters scattered all throughout the courtyard, fountains timed to the music, and the random production of bubbles from hidden bubble machines; and a beautifully manicured rose garden within winding paths to explore. And all of this was before we even set foot into the factory itself!

When I say these houses were intricate, I mean windows that would open, upstairs lofts, and even a miniature leather wing-backed chairs to fit the style of the house below! 

Some of the moving "puppets" that were part of the hourly musical show:

Next we headed into the factory itself for a self-guided tour. Fiona thought it was the coolest thing to watch the machines assemble and package the sandwich cookies.

After seeing the cookie production line, we got a chance to make our own cookie. It was really neat because they let us do every step in the process from forming the white chocolate center to sandwiching it between two fresh from the oven biscuit cookies to decorating to packaging. It was really fun to get to replicate the entire process we had seen in the factory.

Suited up and ready to report for duty:

Washing up:

Molding chocolate:

Waiting for our chocolate to harden:

Heading back into the kitchen to assemble her cookie:

Placing shaped chocolate on bottom cookie:

Placing top cookie:

Prepping cookie for cooking tray:

Decorating station:

Packaging:

Finally, we stopped to take the sculpture bikes for a spin on our way out. Such a fun day!

Today, our good friends from grad school arrived to visit for the week. Stay tuned for more adventures with Anthony and Allyson!!