Meltykiss メルティーキッス is a decadent nama chocolate variety. This limited edition winter seasonal chocolate treat was launched in 1992 to represent the tranquility of winter by creating chocolate as smooth as snow. In fact the Meiji slogan is written  「雪のような口溶け 」(fuyunoyouna kuchidoke or melting in your mouth like snow).

Japanese people pay a lot of attention to the appearance of their packaging and the iconic boxes of Melty Kiss has glittering snowflakes and makes them the perfect winter gift especially for Valentine’s Day with a name like melty kiss.

Nama 生 translates to “fresh” or “raw” the chocolate is a form of ganache similar to “Pave de Geneva” A speciality created in the 1930s by the chocolate makers of Geneva, Switzerland. These chocolates are made of luscious cubes of milk or dark chocolate covered with a light dusting of cocoa powder.

Nama chocolate can only be stored at temperatures lower than 23℃ (73℉) as it will melt completely to liquid at 35℃ (95℉). This is why the fudgy, creamy, and intensely chocolatey treat is only found sold in Japan during the winter.

I first tried a vegan version of nama chocolate at a tea and wagashi pairing event . The chocolate was so silky smooth and melted in my mouth.

As the original melty kiss is not suitable for a vegan diet I decided this Valentine’s to make my own luxurious sweet for myself. It takes just a few ingredients.

You will need:

140g of Good quality dark chocolate at least 70% cacao.

To replace the cream normally used

180ml of plant based cream like oat, cashew or soya cream

To give the chocolate that melt in the mouth texture

20g of vegan butter

You will also need a saucepan, parchment paper and a square container around 3-4 inch square.

To decorate use cacao powder and or matcha powder for dusting. You could also decorate the nama chocolate with gold leaf for an extra special gift.

Optional extras could be 1 tablespoon of liqueur added to the melted chocolate mixture like Amaretto, cherry, strawberry or Grand Marnier.

Alternatives to dusting your nama chocolates with cacao or matcha powder could be a light dusting of powdered ginger or kinako soybean powder.

Notes. I experimented with different vegan chocolate and found those with vegetable fats or other oils do not work as they separate in the heating process. I found using as raw a chocolate as possible worked best with no other ingredients like rice powder, syrups and emulsifiers. I chose Raw Halo dark with a cocoa solid of 85% worked best. The ingredients in this are raw cacao butter, raw cacao powder and coconut sugar.

Method:

1. Line the square container with baking paper
2. Chop the chocolate finely so it melts easily
3. Add the plant based cream to the saucepan and start to heat it but do not let it boil. When you see tiny bubbles take off the heat
4. Add the chocolate and start to mix to melt it into the cream.
5. Add the vegan butter again mixing to melt
6. When the ingredients are all combined pour into your prepared container and smooth the surface, then refrigerate for at least 4-5 hours.
7. After chilling remove from the fridge and lift the parchment paper to lift the chocolate from the container. Peel back the parchment paper.
8.  Slice off any rough edges with a sharp knife.
9. Cut the chocolate slab into 1-inch strips then cut the strips into square pieces.
10. Dust the square with cacao or matcha (or both) using a fine mesh sieve.
11. Decorate with gold leaf if you wish

Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to five days.

When wanting to eat them allow nama chocolate to rest at room temperature for 10 minutes after being removed from the fridge before indulging so you get that real melt in the mouth experience.

If giving as a gift make sure to tell this to the person you are giving them to.

These chocolates are not just for Valentines they are perfect paired with your favourite Japanese tea as an alternative wagashi.