NANI COOKS White Day Edition: Nama Chocolate - Handmade Chocolate with only 3 Ingredients!
While the rest of the world celebrated Valentine’s Day on February 14th, did you know that the Japanese celebrate this occasion differently? The first attempt to celebrate Valentine’s Day in Japan was not well received back in the 1970s, and instead of men buying gifts for women, it was the other way round! Women in Japan used February 14th to confess and express their love for the men, and in return, the men reciprocate their feelings a month later on March 14th by getting gifts for the women they fancy! And this is how the White Day came about!
One of the most common confectionery gifts for White Day would be white chocolate or dark chocolate, and with our latest NANI Cooks! recipe, this 3-ingredient-only Nama chocolate would make the perfect gift for the upcoming White Day! It is incredibly simple and perhaps the fastest recipe we would even impart to you!
If you don’t already know, NANI Cooks! is our latest cooking series where we show you how to recreate Japanese recipes at home that require only 30 minutes or less, and do not require any special ingredients or fancy equipment. Check out some of our previous recipes like Ochazuke, Ozoni (Japanese New Year Soup), and, Okonomiyaki if you haven’t.
Visual person? Stay tuned to the end for a video recipe!
What is Nama Chocolate?
Source: TakesTwoEggs
If you have ever been to Japan, this well-loved Japanese chocolate dessert would be no stranger to you. The name “Nama” translates to rich and fresh cream. Nama chocolates are a popular gift item among the Japanese as they often come in fancy packaging!
In 1988, Chef Masakazu Kobayashi created a new type of chocolate, and named his creation Nama Chocolate and Nama Choco. The chocolate became so popular that Meiji, a snack company released a line of chocolates called Meltykiss, and its creation process was heavily supervised by Chef Kobayashi! You can now find Meltykiss in various supermarkets and Japanese stores!
However, the most famous adaptation of the Nama Chocolate would be by ROYCE, who started selling variations of the delicious dessert in stores in 1993! Hence till today, when one mentions Nama Chocolate, most would usually associate it with “The Royce Chocolate”!
Without further ado, let’s get cooking!
Ingredients
Serves 2 (Perfect for Couples)
90g Dark Chocolate
45g Cream
Sprinkle of cocoa powder
Step 1
Chop your dark chocolate into smaller pieces, and set aside.
Step 2
Add your cream into a saucepan, and heat it on low heat.
Step 3
Once the cream is heated, add your chocolate and stir constantly!
Your chocolate and cream mixture should look glossy and thick!
Step 4
Pour your ganache into a lined square pan, and set aside in the freezer for 4-5 hours!
Step 5
After setting aside for 4 to 5 hours, the ganache should already be hardened.
Now cut them into squares!
Final Step
Dust with some cocoa powder, and you’re done!
Viola!
And just like that, you’re done! This recipe only took me 5 minutes for preparation, and I could still use it to profess my love or act like a perfect housewife material lady who can whip up anything!
PS: You can even heat up the cream and melt the chocolate in the microwave to make it a stove-free recipe! Also, you can experiment with different types of chocolate flavors that you prefer, and even add a touch of alcohol into your ganache and make it liquor chocolate!
If you are intending to gift some of your delicious homemade chocolates to your friends and loved ones, do let them know to consume them ASAP, as the chocolate may its flavor after being in the fridge for awhile!
Check out the Video Recipe here!
Enjoying our NANI Cooks! series? Check out our previous recipes below!
