When you think of Biei Town in Hokkaido, you think of beautiful scenery (hills), asparagus, and temple stamps. As a local resident, I think of it as a town above Furano and below Asahikawa. The Blue Pond is also famous there. Oh, I remember now - did the parking lot at the Blue Pond become paid? Just passing by, I stopped by as I had this image in mind. When it comes to Biei, there's Biei Sengura in the town center. They also have a shop at New Chitose Airport, known for their corn bread that always has a long line. The locals probably wouldn't buy it due to the slightly higher price and stylish packaging. I'm not a local, so I was intrigued by the corn ice cream for 280 yen, I think? I can't remember. I bought it and tried it. Surprisingly, it was delicious. The sweetness of the corn and the ice cream blended perfectly. It was a wonderful taste where the corn and ice cream resonated well together. I don't even understand what I'm writing, but it was tasty! Due to the impact of COVID-19, the restaurant serving delicious food attached to this shop had extended closure. (It may be open now? Please confirm.) Biei town is really working hard to create and promote such products. I don't think my hometown of Otaru is actively doing such things. I won't get into politics, as it's unrelated to Biei, but I think Biei is one of the shops where tourists can casually stop by, despite the slightly higher prices.

In 2020, I visited Biei. The most helpful answer on Yahoo! Chiebukuro is the Best Answer (BA), haha! So, the best answer was from "Senka Ichiba." Two years ago, I bought unwashed rice. Last year and this year, I visited in search of unwashed rice, but they didn't have it both years. I wonder if they stopped production... My wife bought some sausages without me noticing. They are Biei-produced coarse-ground sausages priced at 580 yen (tax included). The store's sign says, "Finished with black pepper and white pepper for a spicy kick," but I didn't feel much spiciness. It was more smoky and fragrant than spicy. It's delicious!

I bought a small souvenir, some interesting sodas from Biei and cherries caught my eye, but I ended up buying some "yaki toumorokoshi" (grilled corn) rice crackers for 180 yen each to give out. I tried one and it was incredibly salty, more like a lump of powder. I struggled to eat it!

After visiting the Blue Pond and Blue Waterfall, I went to Chiyoda Hill and it was already lunchtime. I returned to the city area and arrived at this shop I was looking for. This Biei Senka is like an antenna shop for Biei, with famous shops selling corn bread and French restaurants. What I wanted to visit this time was the Senka Workshop. They sell local Biei vegetables and other specialty products, and there is also a cafe area. I headed to the specialty products area first. There were many attractive local vegetables and products, but I couldn't buy vegetables, so I sadly gave up. I really wanted some asparagus. After some hesitation, I chose freeze-dried corn, Biei adzuki beans, and Biei milk (which I planned to drink immediately). I will enjoy them at home later. The freeze-dried corn is made from 100% corn without any seasoning, unlike the one I bought in Furano, so the initial taste is mild, but the sweetness of the corn gradually spreads and it's irresistible. I highly recommend it. The adzuki beans are a type of bean snack, but the flavor of the black beans is condensed and delicious. I haven't tried the adzuki beans yet, and I will discuss the milk from the Senka Workshop in the following review. Stay tuned for day 3.

I would like to express my condolences to those affected by the recent Hokkaido Eastern Iburi earthquake. After enjoying a delicious lunch at Barrow, I went sightseeing at the Biei Hills and stopped by the Biei Senka Honpo to purchase some delicious produce from Biei such as fresh vegetables and corn. The Biei Senka Honpo consists of four sections: Senka Market, Senka Workshop, Biei Wheat Workshop, and Restaurant Asperge. The Senka Market sells fresh Biei vegetables, and I heard that the prices are cheaper and the produce is fresher at the main store compared to the New Chitose Airport store, so I decided to purchase some Sunny Chocolate and Gold Rush corn. I also bought some potatoes and requested them to be delivered via cool courier service. When the produce arrived, I boiled and tried the corn, and both Sunny Chocolate and Gold Rush were delicious, but personally, I preferred the sweeter taste of the Gold Rush corn.

I went on a drive to Biei and Furano in August 2018. In Biei, I felt like crying out loud. Just kidding! (laughs) I actually went to visit the "Biei Wheat Workshop" next door. I wanted to buy breakfast bread for my wife. I lined up to buy the bread, but the customer in front of us bought the last one, so it was sold out. I felt like crying out loud. Just kidding! (laughs) So, we went to the "Senka Market" instead. Chiba, Chiba, Chiba, Chiba... Keep saying it until I say it's good, okay? How many times do you want me to say it? A thousand times Chiba, just kidding! (laughs) They were selling unwashed rice, so we bought some. My lazy husband and I always buy unwashed rice. We eat it carefully so it doesn't go down the wrong pipe. Choked a bit! Just kidding! (laughs) The unwashed rice, Nanatsuboshi... Is it new rice!? It was so delicious and had a chewy texture that I briefly thought it was new rice. It might be the first time I've ever eaten such delicious rice in August. Even though it was a bit of a hassle, buying rice directly from the source was a harmonious end to the summer.

The familiar Biei Sengiku store at New Chitose Airport is the main store here. You can purchase Biei's specialty products and processed snacks and food products. The store is stylish and has a nice atmosphere. The dried corn and beans have a concentrated flavor and a crispy texture, which is delicious. They offer a good selection of samples. You can also make a delicious pilaf using their products. The rice crackers have a natural flavor. It's a must-visit when you come to Biei.

I came across an old photo, so I'm posting it for record. It's surprisingly stylish for a place run by JA! I was expecting something more like a roadside station. I thought I wouldn't have time to visit, but I found it on the way to my accommodation so I made a detour. The fresh strawberry juice was delicious, I drank it all before taking a picture. There were also a restaurant and souvenir shop, I wish I had more time to look around leisurely.

The strawberry pulp juice was delicious! The red bean soft serve ice cream was also rich and tasty. (´∀｀*)

Soft serve ice cream for 350 yen.

July 2018. First day in Hokkaido. After visiting "Farm Tomita" in Furano, we stopped by the Michi-no-Eki "Biei Hakkin Bilk" and "Biei Hill no Kura" before arriving at the main store of "Biei Sankaku Honpo". I have been to the "Biei Sankaku" at New Chitose Airport several times to get corn bread, but this was my first time at the main store. The Biei Sankaku main store consists of a fruit selection market, fruit selection workshop, restaurant, Asperge, and Biei Wheat Workshop. We planned to have dinner at "Restaurant Asperge" so we were exploring other stores until our reservation time. Unfortunately, the wheat workshop was already closed. We hurriedly went to the fruit selection workshop and bought black bean sweets, and then headed to the fruit selection market. Without much time to think, we purchased: red bean jam 300g for 500 yen, Biei onion soup for 250 yen, Biei onion rice crackers for 490 yen, Biei Hill sweets red bean for 350 yen, Biei Hill sweets diced milk for 350 yen, Biei Hill sweets black bean for 380 yen, Biei Hill sweets corn for 300 yen, and Biei Hill sweets grilled corn for 300 yen, a total of 8 items (the Biei Hill sweets were for souvenirs). We brought them home and immediately tried them. The red bean jam was delicious on toast, not too sweet, so we didn't get tired of it even when spread generously. The onion soup had a rich onion flavor with a hint of sweetness. The Biei rice crackers made with Hokkaido glutinous rice had a great texture and were generously sprinkled with Biei onion powder, giving a strong onion flavor. There were also other flavors like grilled corn and buttered potatoes in the same series. It was a delightful meal.

Biei area. A 7-minute walk from Biei Station, where rice and vegetables are sold in a very impressive building. Slightly more expensive than a roadside station, but still reasonable. There were plenty of products available, but what I purchased were: Sunny Chocola (200 yen) - large grains with a sweet taste. Delicious. Mirai (200 yen) - a small-sized variety with small grains. However, the Mirai I received was disappointing as it lacked sweetness, with a sugar content of less than 10% it seemed. It may have just been a one-time occurrence. Thank you for the meal.

I was planning to go to the restaurant ASPERGES, but when I arrived, they told me that they were fully booked even though it was a weekday. Feeling shocked and sad, I looked around and found the Biei Select Market, which offers snacks made with Biei onions flavored rice. It is a food showroom operated by JA Biei, where you can enjoy a variety of products filled with the love of Biei town. The collaboration snack, "Biei Select," is light and easy to carry, with the perfect balance of sweetness from the Biei onions. It goes well as a beer snack too. I've never heard of Iwatsuka Seika before, but I wonder if it's a local company around here. They also sell blueberries, which are surprisingly larger than the ones you usually see in supermarkets. Credit card payments are accepted at the store.

After enjoying some strawberry juice at "Senka Kobo," I decided to stop by this facility next door as well. It was around 3:20 PM on a Saturday. The shop is located to the west of JR Biei Station, along National Route 237. Like "Senka Kobo," this facility is operated by JA Biei and is called "Biei Senka." It is a simple, box-shaped single-story building with a clean exterior. The large blue polka dots painted on the walls really stand out. The front is glass-walled, allowing a clear view of the interior. Inside, the atmosphere is bright and casual. Shelves, display tables, and refrigerated showcases were filled with various Biei agricultural products (rice, beans, potatoes, vegetables, processed products, dairy products, processed meats, etc.). Quite an attractive lineup. There were about 10 other customers besides us when we visited, mostly middle-aged couples and families. I was drawn to the vegetables and potatoes, but since I was traveling, I couldn't make any purchases. Instead, I bought "Hill Snack Corn (25g) for 324 yen" and "Hill Snack Grilled Corn (25g) for 324 yen." I enjoyed them after returning to Niigata. By the way, it seems I forgot to take a photo of the items I bought... My bad. Both "Hill Snack Corn" and "Hill Snack Grilled Corn" are freeze-dried Biei corn kernels. The former is plain, while the latter has a soy sauce flavor. They have a crispy and light texture, with a strong corn flavor and sweetness. If you want to taste the corn directly, "Hill Snack Corn" is the way to go. However, the smoky soy sauce flavor of "Hill Snack Grilled Corn" is also quite appealing. I finished both of them in no time. They also had similar products made with black beans and azuki beans, so I'd like to try them if I get the chance.

I sent raw corn and nanatsuboshi sweet sake by mail.