Nama Chocolate Tart … the name says it all! An addictive good tart with a filling of the much loved Nama Chocolate, a remarkably simple and luxurious Japanese chocolate that is quite easily made at home. Each bite is indulgent, a celebration in a tart if you like, a gentle tease on the palette that is so sublime that it’s addictive. Don’t say I didn’t warn you!
My first memories of Nama Chocolate go back to a visit to Japan in 2014. Tokyo had the prettiest little patisseries, aesthetically showcased and the desserts are so delicate and stunning to look at. One of the first things I bought as we exited the airport was Nama Chocolate though at the time I took no pictures, just simply savoured it!
That first bite of chocolate was unforgettable. Smooth, rich, comforting, satisfying, and above all, so pretty to look at. It never crossed my mind that I could make it at home since it seemed too exotic, maybe very complicated too. A few attempts later, here’s a very simple recipe for the famed chocolate and it tastes as good as I remember it to be!
I made it as a tart because it’s really warm here these days and the chocolate tends to melt quite quickly in the summer. It will definitely work like a dream in winter and I can’t wait for the weather to improve. If you’d just like to make the chocolate portion, then consider setting it in an 8’X8″ square loose bottom lined tin. Once set, sift over with cocoa powder and then cut it into squares with a sharp knife, cleaning the blade between each cut.
The chocolate tastes best left at room temperature for ten minutes after which it begins to soften because of the chocolate to cream ratio. The tart holds it better in summer since the chocolate has a base that carries it. Either which way, it’s luxurious!
What is Nama Chocolate you might ask?
Nama chocolate comes from Japan. But there are many theories out there regarding who exactly created it. A widely circulated urban legend attributes authorship to pastry chef and chocolatier Masakazu Kobayashi. When he was the owner Sils Maria, a small pastry shop in Shonan, he invented nama chocolate and gave it the name. MICHELIN Guide
The recipe is simple and fuss free and can be easily made at home. The filling is basically just 3 ingredients, 4 if you choose to add coffee powder like I did, so do make sure you use quality ingredients because they really shine in here. Pick a dark couverture chocolate, anything above 54% is good. For me, the darker the chocolate, the more luxurious the feel of the filling. I find that a 70.5% works really well though the 54.5% tastes great too.
I use normal Amul Fresh cream, a 25% fat cream available easily in India. You could use a 30% fat cream if that’s what is available where you live. Use the best butter you can find, and your favourite coffee powder. That’s about it. Oh and of course, the signature finish which is a sifting of cocoa powder on top. That really completes the dessert.
The tart base is also super simple and just has 3 ingredients. I find that I use less clarified butter/ghee in the base in summer. If it’s cooler/colder where you live, then perhaps increase it a tsp at a time until the crumbs come together when pinched between the fingers. I’ve shared a tart base FAQ at the bottom since I always get loads of questions on Instagram asking about how I make the base. Hope that helps you too.
Try it please! Perhaps make it for home or as an edible gift for someone you love. With the weather quite warm and extremely humid, it works beautifully in a tart. In cooler, better weather, the Nama Chocolate will hold well on it’s own! In any case, it’s delicious both ways!
More CHOCOLATE recipes to inspire you! More TART recipes & EGGLESS DESSERT ideas
Do tag me on Instagram at Passionate About Baking if you make this, or any other recipe from the blog. I’d love to see it!
Nama Chocolate Tart
Ingredients
Tart base
- 150 digestive biscuits
- 45 g clarified butter/ghee melted, cooled
- 10 g cocoa powder
Filling
- 270 g 46% dark chocolate chopped
- 125 g Amul Fresh cream/25% fat cream
- 75 g unsalted butter
- 1 tbsp coffee powder
Ganache
- 125 g Amul Fresh cream/25% fat cream
- 175 g 46% dark chocolate chopped
- Cocoa powder for dusting over
Instructions
Tart base 8”
- Place the biscuits and cocoa powder in a processor and blend to a fine meal. Blend in the melted clarified butter/ghee on low speed. {If the weather is cool, you might need 5-10g more of melted ghee}
- Work up the sides of a tart tin firmly, then press firmly to make the base.
- Place the tin in the freezer for an hour while you make the filling. Once the base is chilled and firm, gently loosen the edges of the chilled tart shell and return to the tin and leave in the freezer.
Nama chocolate filling
- Pour the cream into a heavy bottom pan and add the remaining ingredients. Simmer over very low heat until the chocolate melts and the mixture is smooth and glossy. Cool slightly, then pour into the chilled tart base {still in the tart tin}.
- Place to set in the freezer for 2 hours or in the fridge for about 6 hours or overnight.
- Demold, pipe with ganache and dust with cocoa powder.
Video
How do I get a clean tart shell?
1. Use a loose bottom good quality tart shell. Here’s the TART TIN I use. It’s available on Amazon.in.
2. Line the base with a circle of parchment. This is optional but I find it useful.
3. Begin by building the sides first, nice and neat and firmly built to the top. Use your fingers or a spoon. Once the sides are built, make sure they are parallel to the edges, scrape off any extra to the bottom so you get a straight, flat wall right around. Once this is done, firmly push the remaining crumbs to form the base, then neaten up the edges where the base meets the walls.
4. Once done, place the whole tin in the freezer for about an hour until it is frozen, then gently push the base up, applying equal pressure all around to loosen the biscuit shell. Once loose, return to the tin and leave in the freezer until required.
5. Always be gentle when handling the biscuit base since it isn’t baked. Once the filling has set, the tart isn’t that fragile.
Tip: Please don’t remove the biscuit base from the tin before filling it. If you do, the tart will collapse with the pressure from the yet to set filling.
