Nama Chocolate

What is Nama Chocolate?

If you are a fan of chocolate and you have never heard of or never had Nama chocolate before, then you are missing out. Unlike any other type of chocolate, Nama chocolate is a form of chocolate ganache invented in Japan in the late 1980s. It is made of fresh cream and melted high-quality chocolate. After the mixture solidifies, the block of chocolate will then be cut into bite-size rectangles and dusted with a generous amount of cocoa powder on top.

What Makes Nama Chocolate Special?

What makes Nama chocolate stand out from the rest is that its recipe requires the use of high-quality chocolate instead of regular baking chocolate, and super fresh cream from Hokkaido, Japan. The original Nama chocolate comes from Hokkaido’s capital city, Sapporo. If you have not already known this, Hokkaido is the second-largest and northernmost island in Japan. It has much cooler climates as well as wonderful natural terrain which make it an ideal location for sourcing fresh dairy products. Hokkaido’s milk and cream are said to be so smooth and rich that the creaminess coats your mouth. The name Nama Chocolate translates to raw chocolate which refers to its pureness and freshness.

Nama Chocolate’s History

According to multiple sources and the locals, the person who invented Nama chocolate is believed to be pastry chef Masakazu Kobayashi. When Kobayashi opened his first confectionery shop in Shonan, he introduced to customers his wonderful creation, a type of chocolate that is a demigod of solid and liquid chocolate. Nama chocolate has been loved since. After Kobayashi joined Japan’s sweet snack giant, Meiji, he introduced a new line of chocolate called Melty Kiss, which is a more affordable type of Nama chocolate. The reason they named it Melty Kiss is because the chocolate melts very easily. As soon as you put it in your mouth, a cube of Melty Kiss will melt immediately, giving you a burst of flavors. When Melty Kiss was first introduced, it was made available only in the winter months. Nowadays, you can find little boxes of Melty Kiss sold at Asian supermarkets with a wide range of flavors.

After Melty Kiss became a big hit in the sweet market, Royce’s has been actively making Nama chocolate from the 90s until now. As a semi-high-end confectionery company, Royce’s has a lot of different lines of products, but they are famous for their wide range of Nama chocolate. When they first started, Royce’s took orders from customers and delivered the chocolate to them. Today, as the company has become a giant in Nama chocolate, Royce’s has multiple locations around Japan as well as in other countries. Royce’s Nama chocolate comes in a lot of different flavors, including alcoholic flavors.

Nama Chocolate Makes the Perfect Gift

I still remember the first time I received a box of Nama chocolate as a gift from my cousin. He told me that this chocolate will steal my heart, and it sure did. My entire life, I have tried many different types of chocolate from affordable ones to more expensive selections, but I have never tasted something as delicious and wonderful as Nama chocolate. If you get a chance to visit Japan, you will see Nama chocolate shops at many different locations, especially the airports. Whether it is a planned or a last-minute gift, a box of Nama chocolate will definitely bring a smile to the person who eats it. If you want to try out Nama chocolate or to buy it as a gift, Royce’s website provides many different buying options.

A box of Royce’s Nama chocolate contains 20 pieces, and trust me, it is enough to satisfy a group of 4-5 people. Since the chocolate is so rich, I recommend that you take just a small bite at a time to enjoy it. If you are a chocolate lover and interested in Nama chocolate, go buy it now to share with your friends or family and put a smile on their faces.