History

Hokkaido developed its dairy industry in the Meiji era, with William S. Clark and Edwin Dun introducing American-style ranching to the new Sapporo settlement in 1876. By the post-war years, Hokkaido produced more than half of Japan's milk and a soft-serve culture emerged through campus dairies (Hokkaido University Marche), confectionery houses (Rokkatei) and roadside stops. The flavour now defines Hokkaido summer; the Hokudai Marche's Clark's Milk soft serve is the canonical version.

Common allergens: Dairy

Make it at home

Yield 4Hands-on 15 minTotal 5 hrDifficulty Easy

Ingredients

  • 500ml Hokkaido whole milk (or whole milk plus cream)
  • 200ml double cream
  • 100g sugar
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1 pinch salt

Method

  1. Combine milk, cream, sugar, vanilla and salt in a saucepan over low heat.
  2. Warm gently until sugar dissolves; do not let it boil.
  3. Cool the mixture; refrigerate 2 hours.
  4. Churn in an ice-cream maker per manufacturer instructions; the texture should be soft-serve-like, not solid.
  5. If serving immediately, spoon into cones or bowls.
  6. If storing, transfer to a container and freeze for up to 1 week; let stand 5 minutes at room temperature before serving.

Tip from the editors. The fat content of the milk does most of the work; use the richest whole milk you can find.

Where to eat hokkaido soft cream

Hokkaido Soft Cream in Sapporo

Hokkaido University Marche Cafe and Labo ★ 4.3

Café¥hokkaido-university

The Hokkaido University dairy stand, opened 2017. Milk from campus farm cows, processed in-house into Clark's Milk soft serve and bottled milk.

Signature drink: Hokudai Clark's Milk soft serve

Tip: Open during university term hours; Clark's Milk soft serve is the campus signature, five flavours.

Kita-ku, Sapporo 060-0808, Japan

Hokudai Soft Cream Stand ★ 4.6

New American¥hokkaido-university

Hokkaido University's campus dairy sells Clark's Milk soft serve for 350-450 yen across five flavours. The cheapest authentic Hokkaido dairy in Sapporo.

Try: Clark's Milk soft serve

Tip: Open campus term-time only; haskap is the menu's outlier flavour.

Kita-ku, Sapporo 060-0808, Japan

Rokkatei Maruyama Shop ★ 4.4

Bakery¥maruyamaWed-Mon 10:00-19:00, closed TuesdaysWalk-in onlyHokkaido wagashi and butter sandwiches

Obihiro confectioner Rokkatei's Maruyama outlet, the Sapporo home for Marusei butter sandwiches, Yukiya Konko chocolate cookies and seasonal Hokkaido sweets.

Tip: The two-floor Maruyama branch has the full take-home Marusei stock the airport often runs short of late in the day.

Worth the queue: Marusei butter sandwich

Chuo-ku, Sapporo 064-0802, Japan

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