Nama chocolate is a decadent Japanese dessert similar to a chocolate truffle, but much easier to make at home! It’s perfect for gifting at Christmas, Valentine’s Day, birthdays, or just to treat yourself. *Disclaimer: This post may contain affiliate links.
Nama chocolate – they look and sound fancy, but they’re so simple! These luxurious chocolates are one of my favorite Japanese confections. In fact, every year, I request nama chocolates for my Valentines’ Day gift from my husband.
And then every year, he gets confused and buys me some other chocolates.
Memory is not his strong suit. But it’s okay! Because now with this amazingly easy recipe, I can make nama chocolate for myself at home whenever I want! And it’s way cheaper!
What is Nama Chocolate?
Nama chocolate is a Japanese chocolate confection made famous by the Japanese luxury chocolate company ROYCE‘. They are soft, chilled chocolate ganache candies shaped in squares or rectangles and dusted with cocoa powder. You can find ROYCE’ chocolate shops throughout Japan, but luckily, there’s even one at the mall near where I live in Seattle!
The Japanese chocolate brand Meiji also has a nama chocolate product they sell in grocery stores called Meltykiss, which I am also a huge fan of. I can find these at my local Asian market during the winter months, as these chocolate melt easily and aren’t sold during the summer when they might melt during shipping.
What is Nama Chocolate Made of?
Despite being sold as a luxury dessert (ROYCE’ nama chocolates start at $20 USD per 20 pieces), the ingredients for nama chocolate are actually really simple: chocolate, heavy cream, butter, liqueur, and then some cocoa powder to dust the top. The word “nama” means “raw” in Japanese and refers to the fresh cream used to make these chocolates.
Ingredient Notes – Ratio of Chocolate to Cream and What Kind of Chocolate to Use
The key to nama chocolate is that it must hold its cubed shape but maintain a very soft bite even when cold. I’ve seen some recipes that call for a 2:1 ratio of chocolate to cream, but mine is a 4:3 ratio. The higher ratio of cream keeps the chocolate soft, even when chilled. The addition of butter and liquor also helps a little in preventing the chocolate from hardening too much.
Another factor that could affect your end texture is the chocolate percentage. My recipe uses a semisweet chocolate that’s 60% cacao. For reference, many “dark chocolates” comprise of 70% cacao or more. In contrast, milk chocolate is usually between 35-55% cacao. Having a higher percentage of cacao in your chocolate will make your chocolates harden more. Inversely, when you have less cacao, it means you have a higher percentage of other ingredients like sugar and fat. Therefore, your chocolate will end up softer.
What is the Difference Between Nama Chocolate and Chocolate?
As nama chocolate is made with heavy cream, it is basically just a cubed version of a chocolate truffle. Chocolate truffles are made from a mixture of heavy cream, chocolate, butter, and liquor that you roll into balls and then dust with cocoa powder or other toppings. Rolling the truffles into balls actually gets quite messy, so I’m a big fan of nama chocolate instead, which requires only slicing into squares.
In contrast, chocolates like you find at See’s Candies that have a hard shell are usually not mixed with heavy cream. They stay solid and stable at room temperature and have a bit of a crisp if you bite into it. In contrast, nama chocolate should be stored in the refrigerator. What makes nama chocolate special is that even if you pop one in your mouth directly from the fridge, it’ll still be soft!
More Chocolate FAQs
How to Store Nama Chocolate?
ROYCE’ recommends storing nama chocolate in the fridge (or under 50 degrees F) at all times.
How Long Does Nama Chocolate Last?
In the fridge, nama chocolate will last about a month. You can keep them in the freezer for about three months, but freezing and defrosting may affect the texture.
Will Nama Chocolate Melt?
On a hot day, nama chocolate will certainly melt. However, at a cool 65 degree F room temperature, I’ve found that nama chocolate can handle sitting on the counter for about an hour without any issue.
Nama Chocolate Liquor
Using alcohol in nama chocolate is completely optional. However, ROYCE’ adds various liquors (whiskey, orange liqueur, rum, etc.) into theirs, and it adds some fun flavor variations.
Nama Chocolate Flavors
You can do all sorts of nama chocolate flavor variations! In addition to different liquors, ROYCE’ also has white chocolate, matcha, hojicha, sakura, and other seasonal flavors. If you decide to experiment with different types of chocolates, please read the ingredient notes above to see how it may affect the texture of your end product.
More Japanese Dessert Recipes
Looking for more Japanese dessert recipes? Try these!
- Ichigo Daifuku (Strawberry Red Bean Mochi)
- Nama Choco Daifuku
- Matcha Chiffon Cake
- Japanese Souffle Pancakes
- Warabimochi
Nama Chocolate Recipe (Royce Copycat)
Equipment
- 8×8" pan
Ingredients
- 400 g 60% chocolate chopped or in chips
- 300 mL heavy cream
- 30 g unsalted butter about 2 tbsp
- 1 tbsp rum (or other alcohol) optional
- 1 tbsp cocoa powder for dusting
Instructions
- Line an 8×8" baking pan with parchment paper and set aside.
- Heat heavy cream and butter in a pot until simmering, but do not let come to a boil.
- Pour steaming cream/melted butter over the chocolate in a heat proof bowl. Stir to combine.
- When chocolate is mostly melted, add alcohol, if using.
- Continue mixing the chocolate until well combined and pour into your lined 8×8" pan. Chill uncovered in the fridge for at least 3-4 hours and up to overnight.
- Slice chocolate into small squares (about 1 inch by 1 inch). If chocolate is sticking to the knife, you can rinse with hot water in between slices.
- Sift cocoa powder over the top of the sliced nama chocolate and it's ready to be served. Nama chocolate must be stored in the fridge and does not need to come to room temperature before eating.