Experience Making Pizza at Imshil Cheese Theme Park
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There's nothing quite like making it myself!
Experience making pizza at Imshil Cheese Theme Park
When I think of the chewy dough and the warm, stretchy cheese that harmonizes beautifully in my mouth, I instantly feel the urge to open a delivery app and order a cheese crust pizza.
Moreover, I have my own criteria for judging delicious pizza, and I believe that the taste of pizza is largely determined by the 'cheese'. The importance of cheese cannot be overstated.
You might wonder why I’m talking about 'pizza' on the Jeonbuk Special Self-Governing Province blog, but Jeonbuk is actually home to the most famous and high-quality 'cheese' in South Korea. This is the birthplace of premium cheese, Imshil Cheese, located in Imshil County.
The 'Imshil N Cheese Festival', held at the Imshil Cheese Theme Park, takes place every October and is a representative local festival of Jeonbuk.
During this visit, I will take a light tour of the Imshil Cheese Theme Park, learn about the life of Father Jeong Ji-hwan, a pioneer of Korean cheese, and enjoy making my own personal pizza to discover the charm of Imshil cheese.
Upon entering the theme park from the parking lot, visitors are greeted by a charming European-style garden that feels as if you are in the heart of Europe. The gardens, main buildings, and facilities are all designed in a European style, providing an exotic atmosphere throughout your walk.
The purpose of my visit today is to experience making pizza using 'Imshil Cheese'. Although most experiences require prior reservation, same-day reservations may be available depending on the situation.
As I watch many students leaving the experience area with the pizza boxes they made earlier, my anticipation for the upcoming pizza-making experience grows even stronger.
The 'Pizza Making Experience' lasts for 30 minutes and includes options for making individual pizzas, as well as a 'Cheese Experience' where you can make cheese yourself. There is also a package experience that combines both.
With some time to spare before my reserved time, I explore the 'Imshil Cheese History and Culture Center', which is not far from the theme park.
Father Jeong Ji-hwan (December 5, 1931 - April 13, 2019) is often associated with the name 'Ji-hwan', but he was actually a Belgian-born priest who settled in Korea after serving in pastoral activities.
Like Bishop Dubon, who intentionally chose to serve in the poorest country, Father Jeong decided to start his pastoral work in South Korea, which was one of the poorest countries in the world during the 1960s. His journey began when he arrived at Busan Port. In 1964, he became the parish priest of Imshil Church and started raising goats to produce goat milk, marking the beginning of Imshil Cheese's history.
However, he soon realized that making cheese was not easy. He traveled to France and Italy to learn techniques and finally succeeded in cheese production in 1969.
Starting with Camembert cheese in 1968, pizza shops began to emerge in South Korea during the 1970s, and mozzarella cheese was produced in 1972.
Through many ups and downs, Imshil Cheese rapidly grew and expanded its distribution network to supply high-end hotels in Seoul, including the Chosun Hotel and the Shilla Hotel. Father Jeong eventually handed over the operation and ownership of the cheese factory to a cooperative run by the residents. He continued his activities until he passed away in 2019 due to illness.
Thanks to his unconditional love and spirit of service for the poor, as well as his relentless efforts, Imshil Cheese has become one of the most delicious and representative cheese brands in South Korea today.
Curious about the types of cheese used in delicious pizzas, I found that many pizzas I enjoyed used Imshil Cheese, which sparked my interest in learning more about it. This unexpected opportunity to experience making pizza at Imshil Cheese Theme Park turned out to be a fun and rewarding day.
The 'Individual Pizza Making Experience' began at the designated time in the 'Cheese Hall'. Since we would be handling the ingredients ourselves, we first washed our hands thoroughly.
Each reservation had a designated table with various ingredients and kits for making pizza. Ingredients included bulgogi, mushrooms, ham, various vegetables, garlic butter oil, pizza sauce, and tools for easy preparation.
The most important, 'Imshil Cheese', and the 'dough' made from rice flour were placed on stainless steel plates.
Making the pizza toppings was easier than expected. First, we spread garlic butter oil on the dough, being careful not to use too much to avoid greasiness. Next, we spread pizza sauce evenly from the inside out and added a small amount of cheese.
Then, we evenly distributed bulgogi and sausage on the dough, chopped onions and mushrooms to appropriate sizes, and placed them on top. Finally, we covered the pizza with the remaining cheese before sending it to the oven.
Once the pizza was covered, we handed it to the staff, and it took about 15 minutes to bake. After 15 minutes, we picked up our pizza, and the pizza-making experience concluded.
The pizza was ready and warm! Although I wanted to taste it immediately, I had to take it home as tasting was not allowed inside the experience hall.
The rich flavor of the cheese combined with the ingredients made for a delicious dinner. Especially since I made it myself, it was not only fun but also fulfilling.
Given that the size of the 'individual pizza' is not large enough for a family, I decided to buy cheese and ingredients to make my own pizza at home based on what I learned today.
Imshil Cheese Theme Park is not just about pizza and cheese-making experiences; it also offers a rose garden, survival experiences, sports video experiences, a kids' cafe, amusement park, and a petting zoo, providing a variety of entertainment options.
Additionally, the 'Imshil N Cheese Festival', held every October, features various attractions and performances by famous domestic and international artists, so I highly recommend participating during the festival period.
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Source :https://blog.naver.com/jbgokr/224443464715
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