What is Nama Chocolate? Learn about its texture and origin
What is Nama Chocolate?
Nama Chocolate originated in Japan. In Japanese, "nama" means fresh, which precisely describes the core characteristic of this chocolate – a high proportion of fresh cream, a soft texture, and a melt-in-your-mouth quality. Unlike regular bar chocolate, Nama Chocolate is made by emulsifying fresh cream and chocolate, resulting in a high water content. Therefore, it must be refrigerated and has a short shelf life.
The Origin of Nama Chocolate
The origin of Nama Chocolate is widely debated, with no definitive conclusion. The most prevalent theory suggests that Japanese pastry chef Masakazu Kobayashi, who ran Sils Maria in Shonan, was the first to create and name it. Meanwhile, Royce', founded in Sapporo in 1983, is the most crucial brand that popularized Nama Chocolate beyond the Japanese market. Popularizing a category and inventing a category are two different things.
What's Special About Nama Chocolate?
- Melts in your mouth: With a high proportion of fresh cream, its texture is much softer than regular chocolate and begins to melt at body temperature.
- Layered flavors: The combination of cocoa and fresh cream creates an aroma that is more mellow than pure chocolate.
- Freshly made: No preservatives, short shelf life, requires constant refrigeration.
- Diverse flavors: Ranging from classic dark chocolate to matcha, lychee rose, and cappuccino.
Nama Chocolate by Yikou Shengqiao
Our Nama Chocolate is handcrafted in small batches on Chongming Island, Shanghai, inspired by Eastern ingredients. Each batch is hand-emulsified without emulsifiers, cut in the morning, and shipped the same day. It is delivered across Hong Kong via SF Express cold chain at 2–8°C, with a shelf life of 7–10 days.