Nama Chocolate

This rich, decadent and velvety smooth Nama chocolate is the ideal self-care treat! Made with quality couverture chocolate melts and heavy cream, this 5-ingredient Royce chocolate copycat will brighten your day at first bite!

If you've been to Japan, you have definitely seen a Royce chocolate stand at the airport. They are always packaged beautifully and are a popular souvenir for travelers. Now with this 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!

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! They were made popular by Royce confectionery in Japan along with Meiji Melty Kiss. They are packaged to perfection and keep you coming back for more.

Full disclosure, this recipe for Nama chocolate, 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 everyday ingredients we can find on Amazon or our local grocery store.

How to Achieve The Silky Smooth Texture

For this Nama chocolate, after taste the second most important quality is texture. Getting the right texture for Nama chocolate depends on the chocolate to heavy cream ratio. The more cream to 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.

Ingredients For This Recipe

This 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: the heavy cream softens the chocolate giving it the chocolate the smooth instant melt in your mouth feel.
• Unsalted butter: the butter makes the chocolate softer and adds a glossy sheen to it.
• Dark rum: the rum in this recipe deepens the taste of the chocolates. You can substitute out the rum for whisky or gin or more heavy cream based on your preference.
• Unsweetened cocoa powder: like the chocolate chips use a high quality tasting cocoa powder. My go-to pantry staple are Rodelle's Dutch cocoa powder. It has a rich velvety flavor.

How To Make This Recipe

This 5 ingredient recipe calls for three simple steps 1) melt the chocolate, 2) chill the chocolate, and 3) slice the chocolate. It is so incredibly simple and 100% worth it.

1. Prep the pan. Line a 8x8-inch baking pan with parchment paper. Place the chocolate in a large heat proof mixing bowl.
2. 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 stir until the chocolate is completely melted. Add dark rum and mix to combine.
3. 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 5-6 hours or freeze 2 to 3 hours to harden the chocolate.
4. 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.
5. 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 This Recipe

• 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 to 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 a floral gin or whisky. If you want a non-alcoholic version, simply add an extra tablespoon of heavy cream instead.
• 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 4 days. You can store them 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.