Silky-smooth Nama Chocolate with fresh cream simply melts in your mouth. Rich, moist, and decadent, these sweets are a very popular gift item from Japan. With my copycat recipe of the famous ROYCE‘ chocolate, you can easily make this special treat at home.
If you are a frequent visitor to Japan, you probably have heard of or tasted this Japanese chocolate called Nama Chocolate (生チョコレート). You can’t really avoid it at the airport gift shops. They come in fancy packaging that makes them a popular gift item to bring home from Japan.
Nama Chocolate is rich, smooth, and moist, with a silky texture that literally melts in your mouth. The good news is you don’t have to fly to Japan to enjoy the luxurious sweet. With this recipe, you can make your chocolate dream come true today!
Table of Contents
What is Nama Chocolate?
Nama Chocolate is a form of ganache, similar to the filling inside French truffles. It’s made of fresh cream and chocolate, cut into little cubes, and dusted with fine cocoa powder.
We can only call it “Nama Chocolate” when it contains at least 40% chocolate and 10% cream by weight, and no more than 10% water.
Nama Chocolate is much easier to prepare than truffles because the chocolate is poured into a square pan, chilled until firm, then cut into mini squares. No messy hands since there’s no rolling required.
What Does Nama in “Nama Chocolate” Mean?
Nama (生, pronounce [na-ma]) means raw or fresh in Japanese. The name “Nama” Chocolate refers to the plentiful use of rich, fresh cream in the chocolate.
Because of the fresh cream, we must refrigerate Nama Chocolate at all times and enjoy them within 4 days of making them. You can also keep in the freezer for up to a month.
If you’re planning to give Nama Chocolate as a gift, make sure to let the gift receiver know to consume soon.
History of Nama Chocolate
In 1988, the owner and chef Masakazu Kobayashi at the sweet shop Sils Maria created a new type of chocolate, and he named this chocolate Nama Chocolate and Nama Choco (生チョコ) for short.
In 1993, Meiji, a snack company, released a chocolate product called Meltykiss (メルティーキッス) which was produced and supervised by chef Kobayashi. You can purchase a box of Meltykiss at Asian supermarkets, convenience stores, and train kiosks in Japan. This chocolate is known for its limited-time offering during the winter months as the chocolate melts quickly during the rest of the seasons.
Since then, major confectionery manufacturers started to sell Nama Chocolate, and it became a huge trend all over the country.
In 1996, Hokkaido-based ROYCE’ (ロイズ) released ROYCE’ Nama Chocolate. Many of you probably spotted this chocolate at the airports or gift shops at sightseeing spots in Japan. Due to their popularity, this Nama Chocolate is known to visitors who have been to Japan.
Although “Nama Chocolate” was invented in Japan in the late ’80s, this specific type of chocolate called “Pave de Geneva” was born in Geneva, Switzerland in 1930s. Pave de Geneva is made of chocolate and fresh cream and cut into small cubes smeared with cocoa, just like Nama Chocolate.
I’m not sure whether the Japanese chef had traveled to Geneva and knew of Pave de Geneva, or he figured out the Nama Chocolate formula on his own. Regardless, this is not an original Japanese product as it existed in Switzerland.
If you’re a Genevan who tried both Pave de Geneva and Nama Chocolate, please share your thoughts in the comment below. Are they similar or exactly the same?
Tips for Making Nama Chocolate
1. Use Good Chocolate
High-quality chocolate is mandatory since that’s the most important ingredient for making delicious Nama Chocolate. Make sure the chocolate is made of 100% cocoa butter and does not include vegetable fat in the ingredient list.
2. Use Heavy Cream
American heavy cream or heavy whipping cream (they are the same thing) has a 36-38% fat content. The ratio of heavy (whipping) cream (gram/ml) and chocolate (gram) should be 1:2. For this recipe, please do not replace chocolate with white chocolate (which I used in Green Tea Chocolate).
3. Dry and Clean Utensils
Make sure the bowls and utensils you are using are perfectly dry. Even a small amount of water/steam can “seize” the chocolate melting process. It can happen all of the sudden from a smooth bowl of liquid chocolate to a lumpy, grainy mass of chocolate.
Green Tea Matcha Nama Chocolate
Here’s a Green Tea Matcha version!
Other Delicious Chocolate Recipes
These chocolate goodies are perfect for special occasions or as a hostess gift during the holiday season. I hope you enjoy making this Nama Chocolate recipe!
- Frozen Chocolate Banana
- Chocolate Covered Strawberries
- Chocolate Almond Toffee
- Chocolate Chiffon Cake
- Matcha Gateau au Chocolat
- Chocolate Chip Cookies with Nutella
- Valentine’s Day Chocolate Recipes
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Nama Chocolate
Video
Ingredients
- 14 oz good-quality dark chocolate (70% cacao) (use semisweet chocolate if you prefer a less bitter taste)
- 200 ml heavy (whipping) cream (¾ cup + 4 tsp; 36% milkfat)
- 1 Tbsp liqueur of your choice (optional, to taste; I use brandy)
- Dutch-process cocoa powder (to coat the chocolate; you can buy it on Amazon)
Instructions
Before You Start…
- Please note that this recipe requires a chilling time of 4 hours. Also, read the Notes section at the end of this recipe card for important tips to successfully make this Nama Chocolate.
- Gather all the ingredients.
To Prepare the Nama Chocolate
- With a sharp knife, chop 14 oz good-quality dark chocolate (70% cacao) into smaller pieces so that they will melt faster and more evenly.
- Line an 8- x 8-inch (20- x 20-cm) baking dish with parchment paper. Tip: To make the chocolate the correct height, it‘s important to choose a dish or tray that‘s the right size; if you use a bigger tray, the chocolate will be flatter.
- Add 200 ml heavy (whipping) cream (¾ cup + 4 tsp) into a small saucepan over medium heat. Heat the cream to ALMOST a boil. Whisk lightly to evenly distribute the heat. Keep an eye on the cream to make sure it doesn‘t boil. Tip: Overheating the cream may cause the chocolate to separate in the next step (see Notes below for more information).
- When you see small bubbles form around the edges of the saucepan, remove it from the heat.
- Next, add the chocolate pieces into the cream and stir with a silicone spatula to combine. Tip: Make sure your utensil is completely dry; introducing even a tiny amount of water or steam may cause the melted chocolate to seize (see Notes below for more details).
- Mix until the chocolate is melted and there are no more lumps. The chocolate and cream mixture should be completely smooth.
- If you‘d like, add 1 Tbsp liqueur of your choice (optional), and stir to incorporate.
- Pour the mixture into the prepared baking dish and smooth the surface with the silicone spatula.
- Tap the baking dish onto the counter a few times to make sure the chocolate is evenly distributed. Refrigerate until firm, about 4–5 hours.
To Cut the Chocolate
- After chilling for 4–5 hours, remove the chocolate with its parchment paper from the baking dish. Peel away the parchment paper from the sides.
- With a sharp knife, cut off the stray pieces of excess chocolate around the four sides to make sharp corners and edges.
- Warm up the knife with a hot towel. Then, cut the chocolate slab into 1-inch (2.5-cm) strips. Make sure to clean and warm the knife before each cut to achieve a nice sharp cut.
- If your baking dish has curved edges and corners like mine, the edge strips may not be the ideal shape for cutting into neat chocolate cubes. If that‘s the case, cut off and save these chocolate pieces for yourself to enjoy.
- Next, cut the strips into cubes. Remember to clean and warm up the knife before each cut.
- Using a sugar duster or fine-mesh sieve, sprinkle the cubes on top with Dutch-process cocoa powder. Optionally, if you prefer the powder to completely cover the chocolate, you can dip each piece in the cocoa powder to coat all sides.
To Serve
- Keep the Nama Chocolate refrigerated. Serve it on a plate, or put it in a box as a gift. I recommend letting the chilled and firm chocolate sit at room temperature for 5–10 minutes before serving so it‘s soft enough to melt in your mouth.
To Store
- Keep in an airtight container and store in the refrigerator for up to 4 days or in the freezer for up to a month.
Notes
- Separation (when oil comes out of the chocolate) happens when you get the chocolate too hot. Never heat dark chocolate above 120ºF (49ºC) and never heat milk chocolate and white chocolate above 110ºF (43ºC). When chocolate gets too hot, the cocoa butter separates from the solids, and there is no way to salvage it (although you can bake with it and it tastes fine). The best way to prevent separation is to stir the mixture frequently. Since we’re not using a double boiler in this recipe, make sure you do not bring the mixture to a full boil. Remove from the heat as soon as you see bubbles around the edges of the saucepan.
- Seizing happens when moisture is introduced to melted chocolate, even a tiny amount of liquid or steam. When this happens, a smooth bowl of liquid chocolate can suddenly become a lumpy, grainy mass. To prevent this, make sure the bowls and utensils that you are using are perfectly dry.
- To learn more details and how to fix overheated or seized chocolate, please read here.
- The ratio of heavy whipping cream and chocolate should be 1:2. Please do not replace the chocolate with white chocolate for this recipe. The ratio is not the same.
Nutrition
Editor’s Note: The post was originally published on February 6, 2012. The content has been updated.
Hi, Ling here from Malaysia . Would like to enquirer that my country hard to find the heavy whipping cream . There only whipping cream available in all store which is 35% fat. Is it ok to use the whipping cream to make this nama chocolate ? Thanks
Hi Ling! You can use 35% fat heavy cream. Many people from Malaysia tried this recipe, so I’m sure it’ll work. 🙂 Hope you enjoy!
How much liqueur should I add?
Not sure how much you like but try from 1-3 Tbsp depending on how much you like and also on a kind of alcohol. 🙂
Hi what kind of cocoa powder did you use?
Hi Gian, Dutch-processed cocoa powder (https://amzn.to/2DNOHZO). 🙂
I tried this recipe, but the chocolate was too goey to work with, even after leaving it overnight in the fridge! What did I do wrong??
Hi Ana! Thank you for trying this recipe! Some people who had trouble with this recipe always tell me that their selection of chocolate was not good after we discussed possible cause. Make sure the chocolate you use was good kind (should contain ONLY cocoa butter, not vegetable fat). Also, make sure your chocolate didn’t seize due to water (please read in my Note section). When you describe “goey” it sounds like your chocolate got seized by either over heating or water got into the chocolate for some reason. Hope this helps.
This is amazing, I had Royce chocolate at the airport just before boarding my plane and I was sad I hadn’t found it earlier in my 3 month stay, it was just that good! Now I can make it at home! Thank you! 😀
You are very welcome! Hope you enjoy this recipe, Celine
Hi Nami,
I do this on yes”day, I put at refrigerate for over night, but how come it still soft? May I know what went wrong?
Hi Alice! It looks like the chocolate you used has vegetable fat, instead of 100% cocoa butter. When the chocolate is made of good quality, it will not solidify. That could be my first guess. If you used high quality chocolate, then I have to see what else went wrong… so far, people who failed seem to have used the wrong kind of chocolate. Hope this helps!
Ive never liked using heavy cream in recipes…is there any other cream i can use to combine with chocolates such as semi sweet or bitter?
Hi Kara! Nama chocolate is a very simple recipe, but the ingredients and portion has to be just right. I haven’t tried omitting heavy cream before and I’m not sure if heavy cream can be replaced with something else to get good final result with the right texture/flavor. I wish I could suggest something else but I made this as a copycat recipe of ROYCE’ chocolate, so the flavor and texture is very similar to ROYCE’. 🙂
Nami san,
Can I use normal whipping cream or thicken cream to replace heavy whipping cream?
Can use Hershey chocolate to make this chocolate?
Hi Alice! Use higher fat content cream. Heavy whipping cream is 38% and I think whipping cream is 35%. I think it should work, but I haven’t tried it with whipping cream yet. Hershey should work… 🙂
Hi, Nami! 🙂 These are really awesome chocolates!! I made some just tonight and they had such an amazing flavor and consistency!
I didn’t use cream because I’m vegan, but I found that canned, full-fat coconut milk worked quite well (you’d need to used the canned variety because it’s different than the variety that is normally used as a beverage). The coconut milk in the can separates at room temperature and part of it is solid and the other part is liquid. I didn’t heat it to mix them back together because I wasn’t sure if the ratio I needed for the chocolate would be the same. I just alternated between adding the solid coconut milk and the liquid (both from the same can) until the chocolate in the double boiler seemed like it had a good consistency. — I use a double boiler because then I don’t have to worry about burning the chocolate (which I might otherwise do — eek!). At one point, the chocolate/coconut milk mixture became a little gritty and lumpy, but adding some of the liquid coconut milk from the can fixed that and it became smooth again without a problem. Then I added some Heering brand cherry liquor until I could smell the cherry aroma just a bit on the chocolate, and it was strong but not overwhelming to taste. It became a nice smooth, velvet solid consistency in the fridge without any problem. The liquor I added really added an amazing flavor, and a tiny 2cm x 2cm square is extremely satisfying and rich, all on its own!
Thank you for this amazing recipe idea!! I was just trying this recipe early in preparation for Valentine’s day, but I really think the people I want to share it with will be very happy! 😀
I also hope that my information about the coconut milk can help anyone who may be curious as to how to make this without milk (as some people are lactose-intolerant and/or vegan). I made it entirely without milk and I couldn’t taste the coconut in the chocolate after it was finished, either. Another amazing recipe! Thank you again for sharing! 😀
Oleander, you’re very kind and awesome! Thank you very much for sharing! I’ll refer to your comment if anyone asks me for vegan/lactose-free version! It’s great to know that you made these without cream! Thank you for sharing this valuable information with me and my readers! 🙂 I’m so glad you enjoyed this chocolate recipe!
Hi can I ask one more question? Do I need to put the chocolate in the freezer to harder the chocolate? thank you
Hi Shirley! In a refrigerator. 🙂
Hi,May I know can I keep the chocolates for how many days
Hi Shirley! You can keep them in the refrigerator for 2-3 days. 🙂
I love nama chocolate so much and I desperately wanted to make my own. I even bought chocolate of different coca content to try to make it work. I used light whipping cream to subsitute fresh cream, which ended up giving me chocolate just taste the same as Royce’s except for the fact that it is too soft to be cut into pieces! Do I have to use fresh cream? It is unavaible in the market where I live and I was hoping you could give me a way to subsitute the fresh cream! Thank you so much! Love your work!
Hi Huan! I believe heavy cream is necessary to achieve the good nama chocolate texture. The richness comes from the cream. And with ingredients that are very minimal, the outcome relies on good ingredients.
Now about the softness. Do you live in a place with hot weather? That can be it too. Even where I live, which is relatively cool all the time, Nama chocoalte gets melted after I put it out for some time. It gets too soft to cut. Nama chocolate requires to be in the fridge all the time (besides a few minutes before eating), and if you live in a hot place… it’s really hard to cut into cubes.
Thank you so much for following my blog and for your kind comment. I really hope you can make it work!
Hi Nami,
Thank you for sharing this recipe. I’ve made this Nama chocolate for my son’s teachers day present. It taste nice but I’m not able to get as perfect cut like yours and further to that my chocolate seems like melting very fast. Do you suggest I put it in the freezer instead?
Hi Frances! Thank you for trying this recipe! If you make this let’s say in hot summer day, it’s very difficult to cut nicely as chocolate starts to get soft and melt as soon as you take out from the fridge. Nama chocolate needs to be always refrigerated and you only take it out when you eat. Therefore, if there is a way to keep your room temperature cool when you cut, it would be great. Wear (food-safe) latex gloves also helps as they insulate heat from your hands. Basically keep the chocolate cold when you cut and quickly put it back in the fridge. Maybe temporary put it in freezer might help right before you cut? I’ve never done that (SF is always cold or cool so I don’t have to worry this part), but it might help. Hope this helps you a bit. 🙂
Hi Nami,
Thanks for your reply. I shall try using latex gloves next time 🙂
Dear Nami
TQ for a wonderful recipe. Tried but could not get the chocolate to stay firm even left in the freezer overnite.
It was way too soft and ended up with lumps of chocolate. the taste was there. wondering was it becos I used whipping cream instead of heavy whipping cream?
Hi Puilengc! What fat % was your heavy cream? I wonder if your chocolate got seized or separated. Could you read my Note section to see if you think this could be your case?
Dear Nami San
TQ for the prompt reply.
I made sure that I the cooking utensils were dry during the melting process and the result was a smooth texture chocolate.
I cut with a knife dunked in hot water and wiping dry with kitchen towel. But the chocolate kept sticking to the knife and unable to lift from the parchment paper.
The chocolate was soft and unlike the firm texture as shown in your green tea nama chocolate video.
The cream was 35.1% fat
Hi Puilengc! Thank you for your response (and I apologize for my late response). The chocolate DOES stick to the knife even you heat up the knife and when you touch the chocolate, it easily melts. Which is why Nama Chocolate has to be ALWAYS kept in the fridge (and take out right before serving). I think your room temperature was also warm. Also make sure to work fast. 🙂 Your cream content sounds right.
Dear Nami San
TQ for your reply. i live in a hot climate country.
will it help if i dust cocoa powder b4 cutting?
my frenz simply adore this chocoloate and i had been distributing y our recipe/recommending them to your blog.
Puilengc, unfortunately matcha powder doesn’t prevent from melting, and the powder is so fine that it’ll be messy when you hold onto the chocolate. Do you have latex gloves? It can act as insulation from the heat, so I think it doesn’t melt as much as bare hand. If it’s melted tiny bit (mine does too, if I leave it out for some time), you can hide with matcha powder. But when it melts like butter, it’s not going to work. Hmmm maybe put it in the freezer (not to freeze, but to make it very cold) right before you cut? Hope you can figure out the best way to cut.
Thank you so much for introducing my blog to your friends. You’re too kind. Thank you!! xo
In this recipe doesn’t need butter? So how about the soft of the product?
Can i use Lindt Excellence 85 or 99%?
And if i want use 200g of chocolate, how ml of fresh cream should i use?
Nope, no need. We put butter into white chocolate to make it smooth. Without it, the texture is not as good. 🙂 If you use 200 g of chocolate, then use 100 ml of heavy cream. 🙂 I think 85% sounds better.
Thank for your reply
So with matcha nama chocolate 200g white chocolate + 1/2 of 125 ml whiping cream?
I never eat chocolate 99% cacao because in my country doesn’t have that product, but i see some review of chocolate 99% cacao, it look very impressive so i wonder if i make nama chocolate by chocolate 99% cacao how it tatse 😀
1 more thing is should you recommend some chocolate 85 or 99% brand?
Wait, I’m a bit confused. Are you making matcha (green tea) nama chocolate or regular nama chocolate?
If you’re making matcha, please use white chocolate.
If you are going to use half amount of chocolate, the rest of ingredients have to be half as well.
It’s all about preference – some people think dark chocolate is too bitter. I like dark chocolate more than milk chocolate, but semi sweet is also good. So it’s really up to your preference. 🙂
thank for your guide 🙂
i will try more.
omg, first time i add some cognac in this and it doesn’t look smooth like before 🙁
many times ago i make it’s perfect, now the first time i use liqueur look so bad
waiting more 6 hours to see the results
I think I’ve responded to you via Facebook. 🙂
Sorry for make a mistake, i just have done 1 time make matcha nama chocolate follow exactly your recipe, but now i want to use just 200g white chocolate so i should use 1/2 whiping cream? Like the formula you said at this topic: ” If you use 200 g of chocolate, then use 100 ml of heavy cream.”
All the chocolate used baking chocolate, couverture or those eating chocolates we find in chocolates snacks section?
Hi Jennifer! Make sure to use good chocolate, not cheep chocolate that fat and other things are added. It will separate and may not solidify. 🙂