Kurosawa Farm is the only ‘mountain anniversary grazing’ farm in the Kinki region.

Kurosawa Farm is located at the top of Kurosawa Mountain, 509 metres above sea level. The sight of cows leisurely walking across the 30 hectares (six times the size of the Tokyo Dome) of grassland is a milk package in itself. In fact, it is the only farm in the Kinki region that uses ‘mountain anniversary grazing’.

Yamachi Year-round Pasturage means that the cows are raised on pasture all year round in the mountains. There are other ranches that graze their cattle on the plains or only for a certain period of time, but ‘year-round grazing in the mountains’ is said to be a rarity even in Japan.

This article looks at the secret behind the delicious taste of craft ice cream and milk pudding made with milk from cows raised in such a natural environment.

Reissued after 20 years! Products made with ‘easy milk’

Kurosawa Farm, established in 1968, used to sell heat-sterilised raw milk in a bottle of sake exclusively on the farm. At that time, there were no names or labels, and the milk had a simple, handmade feel.

Sales were temporarily suspended for hygiene reasons, but were revived in 2016 for the first time in 20 years after numerous requests for that old taste. The company established its own factory and dedicated sales outlets so that it can be processed on the farm, and named the product ‘Kind Milk’.

In 2018, it was selected for the Jury’s Special Award, which is awarded to the best product among the ‘Premier Wakayama’ products, recognised as a prefectural product brand.

Cattle Friendly

The first is to be ‘cow-friendly’. Animal welfare is a concept that has been spreading from Europe in recent years. The idea is to respect the animal as it should be so that it can lead a healthy life with as little stress as possible from birth to death.

Cattle on the Kurosawa Farm are pastured 24 hours a day, sleeping and waking up to graze when they want. They walk in the mountains, so they have strong legs and feet and do not need calving assistance. Milk from healthy cows is said to be thick and of good quality.

It is said that about 1 hectare of grassland is needed per cow. At the Kurosawa Farm, about 30 cows are currently living freely on a large plot of land.

People-friendly

Have you ever heard of the term ‘non-homogenised milk’? It has a bit of a ‘good milk’ image, doesn’t it? Non-homo milk stands for ‘non-homogenised milk’, meaning ‘milk that has not been homogenised’, but what does ‘homogenised’ mean in the first place?

Normally, freshly milked raw milk contains fat globules of different sizes. When shaken during transport, the larger fat globules eat the smaller fat globules, creating a creamy layer. To prevent this, fat globules are homogenised by machine to reduce the contact points.

However, homogenised substances are inherently unnatural and may attack cells when they enter the human body. The reason why some people get an upset stomach when drinking milk is because their cells are trying to fight the foreign substance.

Gentle Milk is processed on the farm from freshly squeezed raw milk, so there is very little travel distance and the original taste of the milk can be enjoyed. It is ‘kindness to people’ on the part of the milk recipient.

Environmentally friendly

Finally, it is ‘environmentally friendly’. It has been pointed out that cattle manure, which is used as compost, gives off carbon dioxide gas and may lead to environmental pollution, because manure stored in one place decomposes.

Cattle graze freely on vast grasslands, the manure returns to the soil, rain falls, and the cattle eat the growing grass again. The food chain in such a cycle is very natural and is the way the environment should be.

Kurosawa Ranch also processes the grass grown on the property into its own feed. This is an eco-friendly activity that does not waste mountain resources.

Freshly milked raw milk processed on site

We were given a special opportunity to see the milking process. Milking takes place at 6.00 am and 3.30 pm every day. At the appointed time, the cows line up, cross the road on the property and enter the milking shed five cows at a time.

After cleaning the udders with a warm towel, they are milked once by hand to check milk production. When the milking machine is attached, the milk is pumped vigorously and collected in a tank.

This is the large tank in the milking shed. From here, the milk is taken to the factory on site for heat sterilisation and processing.

Freshly squeezed raw milk is processed to finally become ‘gentle milk’. Commercial milk is often pasteurised at a high temperature for a short time, such as at 120 °C for 3 seconds, whereas ‘gentle milk’ is heated at 65 °C for 30 minutes. The pasteurisation effect is the same, but the reason for the time and effort is to preserve the milk and its richness and sweetness.

Most of the raw milk is made up of water, and heating it at high temperatures removes the water and gives it a milkiness. Gentle Milk is heated at a low temperature, just before the water is absorbed, so that the original rich taste of the milk is preserved. The low temperature also prevents the lactose from collapsing, so the milk has a sweeter taste.

Key points here! Kraft ice cream and milk pudding

Craft ice cream and milk pudding made with plenty of such ‘gentle milk’. Originally, processed milk products are said to be heated twice, but Kurosawa Farm only needs to heat it once because it is made on the premises, where travel distances are short. Sugar can be used sparingly because of the milk’s natural sweetness.

Craft ice cream is completely additive-free, with no emulsifiers or stabilisers, which is a good point. Only milk, sugar and eggs are used. The taste is elegant, gentle and somewhat nostalgic.

Milk pudding is popular for its pure white colour, like milk itself, subtle sweetness and smooth texture. It has a pleasant thirst-quenching and refreshing aftertaste. It is characterised by its rich milkiness.

Milk from Kurosawa Ranch, which is pasture-raised and receives plenty of nature’s bounty. These are completely original products made at the factory on the premises. Why not taste craft ice cream or milk pudding while thinking about the cows living freely in the mountains?

Interview and text by Shiori Koyama