Hokkaido locals have started a trend of finishing a meal or a night of drinking with a parfait. This is called shime (closing) parfait. Those familiar with the Japanese drinking scene will know that the traditional way to finish up is with a bowl of ramen, but Hokkaidoites are branching out! When you visit Hokkaido, you’ll soon find that locals swear by a particular ingredient to cool the body down after the warming effects of liquor. That ingredient is cold, sweet soft-serve ice cream made from fresh-from-the-farm Hokkaido milk.Even in winter, Hokkaidoites gobble it down—we’re used to the cold, after all!Men and women alike flock to ice cream parlors to … Continue reading Shime parfait: a sweet way to end the night in Hokkaido!