If you live in Hokkaido, you will often see "turban shell" sections in department stores, shopping malls, and supermarkets. When you see them, you will be intrigued and will find yourself glancing over the products. This time, we visited the main store of turban shells and dug deeper into the charms of turban shells that you may think you know but don't! Sazae was born in 1957. It started as a small restaurant in the morning market in Hakodate. It has now grown into a major company with 64 stores across Hokkaido. Sazae's main store is located in Miyanomori, Chuo-ku, Sapporo. A yellow sign with the familiar logo on a green building is the landmark. Once inside the store, you'll be amazed at the wide variety of products on offer, from familiar to unfamiliar. Here's a little bit of information. Did you know that only the Sazae main store has an eat-in corner? You can eat udon noodles and other dishes inside the store. It's a bit surprising, isn't it? Now, let's introduce some recommended products. Speaking of turban shells, "Tokachi Ohagi" is famous, but sushi rolls are just as popular. In the photo above, from the left, you can see "Daimamakki" (1 roll, 1,188 yen including tax), "Jyo Futomaki" (1 roll, 594 yen including tax), and "Kodawari Tamago Futomaki" (1 roll, 864 yen including tax). The best-selling Jyo Futomaki is accented with pickled ginger, and Tamago Futomaki, featuring a thick omelet with honey made from Nakasatsunai chicken eggs, is a favorite of adults and children alike. The onigiri rice balls lined up in the display case are also interesting. Pictured from the left are "Ebi Ten" (199 yen including tax), "Sockeye Salmon Mentaiko" (183 yen including tax), "Tuna Mayonnaise Konbu" (172 yen including tax), "Premium Kishu Large Grain Honey Plum" (280 yen including tax), "Premium Sujiko" (324 yen including tax), and "Premium Sockeye Salmon Belly" (270 yen including tax). By the way, the most popular item is apparently shrimp tempura, but I would also like to try the premium rice ball series, which is full of volume and made with carefully selected ingredients. By the way, the sushi rolls and rice balls are made with carefully selected Hokkaido rice. The same rice is also used in the bento boxes. Pictured from the left are "Kurimaitake Mushroom Rice Bento" (583 yen per pack, tax included) and "Gyu-meshi" (626 yen per pack, tax included). The portions are very satisfying and reasonably priced! There were so many items to choose from that it was hard to decide, so we asked the staff for their recommendations. That's what you see in the photo above. In the foreground is the new Western-style dorayaki "Andoramochi" (172 yen each, tax included). There are two types: condensed milk cream paste and coffee cream paste. In the back is the "Shokutaku An" (324 yen each, tax included), which comes in both tsubuan and smooth anko flavors. You can spread it on bread or mochi and eat it in a variety of ways, depending on your imagination. There are so many other recommended products that we couldn't introduce! The "Tokachi dango" at the amazing price of 86 yen per piece including tax look delicious, and the various dorayaki and manju are so delicious that you'll probably end up buying several of them. I thought I was familiar with Sazae, but when I visited the main store, I was full of new surprises and impressions. Even if it's not the main store, if you come across a store while shopping, be sure to check it out. I'm sure you'll discover something new! This time, we asked Akane Shibata of the Product Sales Department to film the manufacturing process of "Jyo Futomaki" and "Tokachi Daimyo Oyaki." Please watch the video to see the warmth and skill of handmade products. *The product information listed is current as of the end of January 2022 (products and prices are subject to change without notice.

A close look at the manufacturing process of sushi rolls (Ue-futomaki)

Tokachi Daimyo Oyaki manufacturing process

<Sazae Foods Co., Ltd. Miyanomori Main Branch> Address: 1-1-35 Miyanomori 4-jo, Chuo-ku, Sapporo, Hokkaido Phone: 011-612-4717 Official website: https://www.sazae.co.jp Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SazaeFoods-Co.,Ltd.-1414308972149031/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sazaesyokuhin/