What is special about Creamy Caramel from Hanabatake Farm?
Hanabatake Farm (花畑牧場) is a brand from Hokkaido, run by a famous Japanese comedian. Thanks to the nice reputation, now their products and souvenirs are sold even at the airport.
They make a lot of products, such as dairy, sweets or even meat. However, what has made their farm so famous is their Creamy Caramel. It was first introduced more than 15 years ago, and since then, their products are selling so well. The Creamy Caramel has been awarded one of the most-renown awards for more than 10 years in-a-row, too.
However, as a Muslim traveler, there are some precautions that you should know, as some of them include Gelatin and some of them don’t. We would like to show you how to distinguish these products.
Creamy Caramel, why is that selling so well?
Creamy Caramel is made from the freshest cream from Hokkaido. Unlike usual caramel, a slight change in the temperature, quantity or even humidity can change the taste a lot, so the production is much harder than normal caramels. The Caramel in Hanabatake Farm is under the strict control and if the texture is not up to the standard, it will be discarded.
However, it is still worth making them, because of their great taste.
As soon as you put the Cream Caramel, it melts on your tongue right away. Within this short time, you still feel the rich milky flavor, with sweetness of caramel.
After the caramel is made, they are cut into pieces, and staffs wrap it by hand, not a machine. Then they are nicely put into the wooden box, and it is ready to be sold.
How to distinguish Muslim-friendly Creamy Caramel?
The question for Muslim tourists may be Are they Halal?. Yes, we are here to answer your question!
It is not widely informed, but there are actually two types of Creamy Caramel available for you to buy. One of them contains Gelatin, an ingredient from pork or other animal, which should be haram for most of you. However, another one is Gelatin-free and it is using natural ingredients.
How can we distinguish them? The answer is how they have to be kept.
The one which can be preserved at a room temperature contains Gelatin, while the caramel that needs to be kept chilled, do not contain Gelatin. Instead of Gelatin, they are using only butter and cream.
In Japanese, 冷蔵タイプ (Reizo Type) means the one needs to be refrigerated, while 常温タイプ (Jouon Type) means no refrigeration needed. So, make sure to choose Reizo Type.
Are there any other flavors?
Yes, there are some types of flavors. Normal one has a pale brown wooden box, but there is also a black box.
Difference between White and Black is quality. The black one is called Kiwami (極), and the quality of the black package is a lot better. The price of the black package is slightly more expensive than the wooden package.
Still, they have same plain flavor, and the ingredients are the same.
Ingredients of the Creamy Caramel are as follows:
Cream, Milk, Liquid sugar, Sugar, Honey, Vanilla beans
There are also Strawberry and Melon flavor available. The same thing goes to these flavors, too: The one which needs to be kept refrigerated does not contain Gelatin.
Risk of contamination.
Now you are aware of the way to distinguish the product without Gelatin; however, it does not mean that the products are totally Halal. This is because there is a risk of contamination.
As there is an item that has pork or animal-derived ingredients manufactured in the same factory, we can never deny the risk of contamination. Of course, the product itself does not have animal-derived ingredients, however, if you would like to avoid the risk of contamination, this item should not be chosen.
Where is the product sold?
So, if you would like to avoid consuming Gelatin, we recommend you buy the caramels that need to be refrigerated. In this case, you might need a cooler bag. Usually, they are available to buy in the shops for 100-200 yen.
Creamy Caramel is sold online or in some shops in the airports. However, if you try to buy them at the airport, they may restrict the maximum number of boxes you can buy, because the products are selling so fast. Plan your shopping carefully.
Details of the products
There are two types of Caramels, one contains Gelatin and one does not.
Choose the one which needs to be refrigerated (冷蔵タイプ).
Don’t choose 常温タイプ.
The risk of contamination cannot be denied, but at least there is a product without animal-derived ingredients.
Prices:
660 yen for 8 pieces
890 yen for 12 pieces
1320 yen for Kiwami
Expiry: 90 days after production date.
Available at souvenir shops and at airports in Hokkaido.
Information as of June 2023. The product is not Halal certified, which means there is a little risk of contamination. Flavoring contains a very tiny portion of alcohol.