This rich, decadent and velvety smooth nama chocolate is the ideal self-care treat! Made with quality couverture chocolate and heavy cream, this 5-ingredient Royce nama chocolate copycat will brighten your day with just one bite!
If you've been to Japan, you have definitely seen a Royce chocolate stand at the airport. These elegant chocolate truffles are always packaged beautifully as a popular souvenir for travelers. Now with this nama chocolate recipe, you don't need to fly to Japan or spend an arm and a leg to taste this decadent chocolate. This luxuriously smooth and silky nama chocolate instantly melts in your mouth and has the richest chocolate flavor. Pair this with some crispy Chicken Katsu Curry Sliders and some watermelon mint tea and you will have yourself a full well-balanced meal!
Table of Contents
What are Nama Chocolates?
Nama (生, pronounce [na-ma]) means raw or fresh in Japanese. The name “Nama” chocolate refers to the plentiful use of rich cream. A “Nama Chocolate” must contain at least 40% chocolate and 10% cream by weight, and no more than 10% water.
In Japan, nama chocolate is everywhere—in the airport gift shops, shopping malls, grocery stores, etc. You can't miss them! This Japanese chocolate was made popular by Royce confectionery in Japan along with Meiji Melty Kiss. Royce nama chocolates are packaged to perfection and keep you coming back for more.
Full disclosure, this Royce nama chocolate recipe, while it is smooth, silky, and delicious is not the exact copycat for Royce or Meiji Melty Kiss chocolates. The exact texture and flavor are too difficult to perfect considering we use every day ingredients we can find on Amazon or our local grocery store.
How to Achieve The Royce Nama Chocolate Texture
For this Royce nama chocolate recipe, after tasting the second most important quality is texture. Getting the right texture for this Japanese chocolate depends on the chocolate-to-heavy cream ratio. The more cream chocolate ratio the softer the chocolate. The less cream to chocolate ratio the harder the chocolate. Moreover, if you opt for grocery store melting chocolates they will also change the texture dramatically because most brands use stabilizers in their chocolates which will yield a tougher and less smooth texture. Furthermore, the darker the chocolate the more cacao and less fat there will be in the chocolate itself.
🛒 Ingredients
This copycat Royce nama chocolate recipe is incredibly simple and only requires 5 ingredients! When a recipe calls for so few ingredients and isn’t cooked intensively, it is important to ensure the quality of the ingredients used for the recipe matches the same quality you hope to taste.
- Couverture chocolate chips: since this recipe only calls for 5 ingredients it is CRUCIAL that you use the best quality melting chocolate for the best taste. I highly recommend using Callebaut Semi-Sweet Melting Chips. They are delicious high-quality chocolate chips that melt like butter.
- Heavy cream: gives Japanese chocolate a soft melt-in-your-mouth creamy feel.
- Unsalted butter: softens the chocolate and adds a delicious richness to the Japanese chocolate candy.
- Dark rum: the rum in this recipe deepens the taste of the chocolates.
- Unsweetened cocoa powder: I recommend using a high-quality tasting cocoa powder. My go-to pantry staple is Rodelle's Dutch cocoa powder. It has a rich velvety flavor.
✨ Substitutions
This is your nama Royce chocolate recipe. You can customize it based on your preferences. I listed some ingredients you can substitute below.
- Baking chocolate bars or chocolate chips: instead of using couverture chocolate chips you can opt for using baking semi-sweet or dark chocolate bars or chocolate chips. When I am not using Callebaut chocolate I use Ghirardelli or Lindt chocolate as well.
- Brandy, Cognac, Gin: if you want a different flavor profile, you can use brandy, cognac, or gin or no alcohol at all! It is entirely up to you.
- Matcha powder: instead of cocoa powder, if you want to mix it up why not sprinkle the nama royce chocolate with matcha powder!
📝 How to Make Nama Chocolate
This 5-ingredient nama chocolate recipe calls for three simple steps 1) melt the chocolate, 2) chill the chocolate, and 3) slice the chocolate. It is so simple and 100% worth the effort!
- Prep the pan. Line an 8x8-inch baking pan with parchment paper. Place the chocolate in a large heat-proof mixing bowl.
- Melt the chocolate. In a small saucepan, add the cream and butter and heat until it starts to steam significantly (about 176°F/80°C). Pour the hot cream and butter over the chocolate, and let the chocolate sit for 5 minutes. Then add the rum and mix to combine until the mixture is completely combined.
- Chill the chocolate. Pour the melted chocolate into the prepared pan. Spread evenly, keeping the surface as smooth as possible. Pop any air bubbles with a toothpick. Refrigerate for 4-5 hours to harden the chocolate.
- Slice the chocolate block. Take the block of chocolate out of the freezer and mark roughly 1.5"x1.5"-inch squares with a knife. Using a sharp knife cut the chocolate into squares. For clean cuts, dip the knife in hot water, then wipe it off with a kitchen towel.
- Dust the sliced chocolates with cocoa powder. Using a fine mesh sieve, dust cocoa powder over the chocolate squares this will ensure they will not stick together Enjoy!
✨Tips For The Best Royce Nama Chocolate
- Use high-quality couverture chocolate chips! Buying lower-quality chocolate chips will affect the overall texture of the nama Royce chocolate. I highly recommend Callebaut Chocolate Chips. They have incredible texture and taste.
- Make sure the cream is simmering before adding it to the chocolate. The heavy cream should be steamy and simmering along the edges but not at a roaring boil. This will ensure the cream will fully melt the chocolate chips.
- You can sub out the rum. I find that a dark rum adds a very subtle depth of flavor to the chocolates but you can also substitute the rum with brandy, cognac, floral gin or whisky. If you want a non-alcoholic version, simply add an extra tablespoon of heavy cream instead.
- Chill the chocolate for at least 4 hours. This is to ensure that the chocolate is firm enough to cut without falling apart or melting too quickly.
- Use a hot knife for the cleanest cuts. You can heat your knife up over a flame or soak it in hot water. Make sure to wipe the knife down before every cut.
🥡 Storage Instructions
This Royce chocolate recipe is best served within 4 days. You can store these Japanese chocolates in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 1 week. The cocoa powder will clump up the longer it is stored in the refrigerator.
💬 FREQUENTLY ASKED Q’S & A’S
Nama chocolate tastes like rich semi-sweet or dark chocolate that has a soft and creamy texture that melts in your mouth almost instantaneously.
Yes, I recommend refrigerating any leftover Japanese chocolates in an airtight container. Nama chocolates are soft chocolates that could melt on the counter if you live in a warm climate.
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DID YOU MAKE THIS NAMA CHOCOLATE?
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👩🏻🍳 Recipe
Nama Chocolate
Ingredients
- 2 ½ cup (420 g) baking chocolate chips dark or semi-sweet
- 1 ⅓ cup (320 ml) heavy cream
- 2 tablespoon (30 g) unsalted butter
- 1 tablespoon dark rum or brandy
- Unsweetened cocoa powder to dust
Instructions
- Prep the pan. Line an 8x8-inch baking pan with parchment paper. Place the chocolate in a large heat-proof mixing bowl.
- Melt the chocolate. In a small saucepan, add the cream and butter and heat until it starts to steam significantly (about 176°F/80°C). Pour the hot cream mixture over the chocolate, and let the chocolate sit for 5 minutes. Then add the dark rum and stir with a rubber spatula until fully combined.
- Chill the chocolate. Pour the melted chocolate into the prepared pan. Spread evenly, keeping the surface as smooth as possible. Pop any air bubbles with a toothpick. Refrigerate for 4-5 hours to solidify the chocolate.
- Slice the chocolate block. Take the block of chocolate out of the freezer and measure out roughly even squares with a knife. Using a sharp knife cut the chocolate into squares. For clean cuts, dip the knife in hot water, then wipe it off with a kitchen towel between each cut.
- Dust the sliced chocolates with cocoa powder. Using a fine-mesh sieve, dust cocoa powder over the chocolate squares this will ensure they will not stick together Enjoy!
Notes
- Use high-quality couverture chocolate chips! Buying lower-quality chocolate chips will affect the overall texture of these nama chocolates. I highly recommend Callebaut Chocolate Chips. They have incredible texture and taste.
- Make sure the cream is simmering before adding it to the chocolate. The heavy cream should be steamy and simmering along the edges but not at a roaring boil. This will ensure the cream fully melts the chocolate chips.
- You can sub out the rum. I find that dark rum adds a very subtle depth of flavor to the chocolates but you can also substitute the rum with a floral gin or whisky. If you want a non-alcoholic version, simply add an extra tablespoon of heavy cream instead.
- Chill the chocolate for a minimum of 4 hours. Patience is key! You don't want to remove the chocolate and cut before it has had time to fully set because it will become a goopy mess.
- Use a hot knife for the cleanest cuts. You can heat your knife up over a flame or soak it in hot water. Make sure to wipe the knife down before every cut.
- Storage Instructions. Nama chocolate is best served within 24 hours. You can store them in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 1 week. The cocoa powder will get slightly wet and clump up the longer it is stored in the refrigerator.
Kim
I love how this chocolate melts in your mouth. It’s a new family favorite that I will be making again and again!
takestwoeggs
We're so happy you all enjoyed them as much as us 🙂