Matcha Nama

February means Valentine’s Day, and if you ask most people, Valentine’s Day means chocolate! When I heard there was a way to make Japanese “nama chocolate” at home, I jumped at the chance. Dark chocolate is always so appealing, but I love matcha so much… So, matcha nama chocolate it is! 

“Nama Chocolate” is kind of like fudge, but without the chewiness; it’s kind of like a ganache, but not as gooey. It’s almost close to a chocolate meltaway – it’s soft, creamy, and just melts in your mouth. Deliciously decadent little squares of matcha nama chocolate, yummm… 

“Nama Chocolate” was made popular in the mid-’90s by Hokkaido luxury chocolatier Royce’ Chocolate, and it’s still in high demand all over the world. The “nama” in “nama chocolate” means raw, live, or fresh – in the case of Royce’, they’re based in Hokkaido, the dairy center of Japan. Royce’ uses fresh cream from Hokkaido’s cows, and blends them with super premium cocoa and curated alcohols to create their nama chocolates – even their matcha nama chocolate has a little alcohol in it. Nama chocolates are so delicate, you have to ship it in ice – Royce’ even provides you with a thermal insulated pouch and ice pack if you purchase any in their retail stores. You can find out more about Royce’ at https://www.royce.com/ & https://roycechocolate.com/.  

My version doesn’t have any alcohol, and uses a California dairy as my heavy cream source, but using a quality chocolate and good matcha made this a really decadent dessert to enjoy in small morsels of melty green tea goodness. If you want to make a handmade luxury chocolate gift for Valentine’s Day (or any day), this scaled-down recipe will make just enough for you and a partner to enjoy (or a couple of small gift boxes).  

Note: If you’re avoiding sugar, you can easily turn this into a low-carb or even keto “fat bomb” treat by simply using a sugar-free white chocolate. Just make sure you’re using a premium chocolate that’s made with cocoa butter, and not vegetable oil. 

For an alternate Valentine’s Day idea, try my heart-shaped Sweet Palmiers recipe. Or, if you’re thinking of trying your hand at Japanese sweets in general, visit my Wagashi recipe collection 🙂

Ingredients

• 200g white chocolate  
• 1/4 cup heavy whipping cream 
• 1 tbsp unsalted butter 
• 1 tbsp matcha powder 
• Additional matcha powder for dusting 

Directions

Prep work: Chop or grate unsalted butter and white chocolate into small pieces. Keep in fridge until right before using. Make sure everything is dry (bowls, pans, spatula) – even a little bit of water will cause the chocolate to seize up into a grainy, oily mess.

In a small saucepan or frying pan, heat heavy cream until hot but not boiling. Turn heat off. 

Add butter and white chocolate. Stir with spatula until it resembles condensed milk. 

Sift matcha powder into mixture to avoid clumps, and stir with spatula until combined. Don’t use a whisk, or you’ll end up with clumps of bitter matcha powder in your chocolate. 

Pour mixture into heat resistant square or rectangular dish lined with parchment paper. Smooth top with spatula, and pop any air bubbles if needed with either a toothpick or butane torch. 

Wrap in plastic wrap and allow to set in fridge for 4 hours. 

Remove set nama chocolate from dish by pulling up parchment paper. Transfer nama chocolate to a sheet of clean parchment paper. Cut edges off, then remaining square into 16 cubes. Dust cubes with matcha powder to prevent sticking together and to cover any imperfections such as air bubbles. 

Keep in fridge until right before serving. Serve alongside the beverage of your choice (this goes well with tea or coffee, but if you enjoy alcohol pairings, this is amazing with a glass of champagne, a little brandy / whisky, or some sake).