A few decades ago, cheese wasn’t even a part of the Korean diet.
Now Korea has a whole 32-acre theme park dedicated to cheese. The Imsil Cheese Theme Park, opened in 2004, is a cheese lover’s dream.
In 1958, a Belgian priest visited the Imsil area as a missionary, but more importantly, he raised a pack of goats and started making his cheese. He was asked by the local governor to teach the town his cheesemaking craft, and from there Imsil became Korea’s cheese capital.
The cheese-park is a tribute to the birthplace of cheese in Korea, honouring a man who was given honorary Korean citizenship in 2016 for his prolific cheesemaking services.
The park features ‘cheese experiences’, where visitors can make cheese, a milk processing factory, a local speciality shop, two restaurants, and a science lab that researches different methods for making the best cheese.
Other highlights to visit at the park include a petting farm, a cave full of ageing cheese and, of course, a cheese shop.
