Nama Chocolate, often known as "nama choco" in Japan, is a beloved dessert that combines the luxuriousness of chocolate truffles with the smoothness of ganache. This decadent treat was first popularized by the renowned Japanese chocolatier, Shunsuke Saegusa, at his shop, Royce' Confect Co., Ltd. In Sapporo, Japan.
Royce's Nama Chocolate quickly gained fame for its silky texture and delightful melt-in-your-mouth experience. While the original version is made with high-quality milk chocolate, the world of Nama Chocolate soon saw exciting variations, one of which is the matcha-infused gem we're exploring today.
Matcha Meets Chocolate
Matcha Nama Chocolate brilliantly merges the elegance of matcha and the indulgence of chocolate into a single bite-sized delight. The bitter-sweetness of dark chocolate marries flawlessly with the earthy, slightly astringent notes of matcha. The result? A sophisticated treat that dances on your palate, leaving behind a tantalizing trail of flavors.
Now, let's get to the fun part - making your own Matcha Nama Chocolate!
1. Line a 20 cm rectangular cake pan with a sheet of parchment paper and set aside for later.
2. Chop the white chocolate couverture into small pieces so it will melt more easily.
3. Pour the heavy whipping cream into a small saucepan and set over medium heat until barely simmering. When bubbles start to appear around the saucepan, remove immediately from the heat.
4. Once simmered, add the chopped white chocolate couverture and butter. Mix all together thoroughly with a rubber spatula until well incorporated. After a while the mixture will start to solidify and eventually will become smooth.
5. Now sift in the matcha powder into the chocolate mixture gradually. Make sure you keep mixing thoroughly, while adding the matcha, so no lumps can form. After a few minutes of stirring the color and texture will become homogenous.
6. Next, pour the matcha chocolate mixture into the prepared 20 cm rectangular cake pan and tap the baking dish a few times against the countertop to remove remaining air bubbles. Transfer the cake pan into the refrigerator for about 4-5 hours or overnight.
7. Finally, take the cake pan out of the refrigerator and lift the parchment paper to remove the Matcha nama chocolate from the baking dish. Run a sharp knife under hot water to warm it up so you can cut the chocolate more easily. Wipe the knife dry when warmed up.
8. Slice the matcha chocolate block into 4 smaller blocks and then cut each of the 4 small blocks into 9 small pieces.
9. Dust each chocolate piece with matcha powder and serve with a cup of matcha or store in the refrigerator until serving. Enjoy chilled.
Itadakimasu!Enjoy your homemade Matcha Nama Chocolate!
