9 Best Tried and True Japanese Nama Chocolates in 2023 (Royce', Sils Maria, and more)

Royce' Chocolate's Nama Chocolate Bitter is made with carefully-selected brandy blended with moderately sweet chocolate and fresh cream from Hokkaido.

We found that the moment we took a piece in your mouth, our palates were treated to a rich fragrance and a slight bitterness. While this is technically bitter chocolate, it doesn't have an overpoweringly bitter taste and is balanced by a moderate sweetness. Our testers were thrilled how this product drew out the flavors of authentic chocolate to the fullest.

We also found that this chocolate melts on the tongue satisfyingly slowly, rather than vanishing in an instant. The cacao flavor lingered for a brief moment in the aftertaste, and the rich chocolate flavors were quite enjoyable.

Our testers were also fond of its classy, minimalist design. We feel that this nama chocolate is best for those who are looking for a box of nama chocolates that they can gift casually. It's also a great product for those who don't particularly have a sweet tooth since it's not too sweet!

Royce' Chocolate's Nama Chocolate Au Lait uses fresh cream from Hokkaido and is the company's best-selling product among all of its nama chocolates.

After taking a bite, we were instantly met with a milky and creamy flavor that spread inside the mouth. With a light aftertaste, we found ourselves wanting more after each piece. We also think it can pair with all kinds of drinks since the nama chocolate doesn't have any strong tastes, but we liked pairing it with coffee or even a dry Japanese sake

Our testers were fond of the simple, navy-colored package design, which has a calm and relaxing feel to it. Overall, we think this nama chocolate is a great choice for when you're unsure of what to get or when you don't know your recipient's tastes.

Royce' Chocolate's Nama Chocolate Champagne Pierre Mignon is made with fruity champagne added to flavorful milk chocolate to create a refreshing, elegant flavor.

We thought it was an elegant nama chocolate thanks to the gorgeous fragrance of champagne. Initially, this nama chocolate has a fruity tartness to it, but its liquor-based flavors elevate its sweetness in the aftertaste.

Melting slowly in the mouth, we tasted strong and complex chocolate, liquor, and milk flavors. We think this nama chocolate would be best paired with champagne, unsurprisingly.

The package design stays true to Royce's design language, but has an air of luxuriousness to it thanks to its darker color. Since the package design overall isn't too loud, we think it would be a great gift for special occasions.

Royce' Chocolate's Nama Chocolate White is made with a mixture of white chocolate and fresh cream from Hokkaido. Royce' claims this product has an elegant sweetness and light aftertaste.

While it had a buttery richness to it, it had a light aftertaste. Unlike other white chocolates, it was relatively light in sweetness, and it had a more prominent milk flavor, rather than chocolate.

Since it has a soft texture, the outer layer actually melted away quickly, but many of our testers commented that the center of this nama chocolate was firmer than Royce's Nama Chocolate Au Lait.

Its milk flavor lingered longer than its cacao flavor, so we recommend it to people who want to fully enjoy something with a dense and rich taste. The package design is a refreshing blue, making for a perfect gift to give casually.

Uji Green Tea Nama Chocolate is made by Itoh Kyuemon, a green tea shop with a long history, using their flavorful matcha to make this nama chocolate. This matcha nama chocolate is made by blending carefully selected uji matcha with white chocolate that isn't too sweet.

The matcha powder was fairly prominent, and we felt an authentically matcha-like fragrance and bitterness, while still being able to clearly taste the sweetness of the chocolate and milk, offering a well-balanced taste.

The texture was solid and firm, but it melted in the mouth and didn't linger uncomfortably on the tongue.

Our testers commented on its package design, noting that it was too similar to that of traditional Japanese sweets and didn't really match with their mental image of nama chocolate. Still, if you're a fan of matcha chocolate, this is one you definitely don't want to miss out on.

Royce' Chocolate's Nama Chocolate Matcha is made by blending matcha, fresh cream, and liquor for flavor, resulting in a light and fragrant matcha nama chocolate.

The rich sweetness was well-balanced with the slight bitterness of the matcha, making this a nama chocolate that was very easy to eat. The matcha didn't overpower the other flavors and instead offered a refreshing aftertaste.

The first thing we noticed once we had a piece was that the texture was initially sticky, but the nama chocolate melted quickly and smoothly, leaving behind a fragrant green tea flavor and a light aftertaste.

This is a great matcha nama chocolate for those who want a product that balances both chocolate and matcha flavors well.

Sils Maria's Sils Milk is the nama chocolate that started it all. This nama chocolate, which was the very first of its kind, is made from a blend of three different Belgian chocolates and fresh cream.

As soon as you eat a piece, we found that a sweet fragrance spread throughout our mouths, and our tongues were able to taste the sweetness of the chocolate and the flavors of the cacao. While it's a fairly simple product, it's made in a way that highlights the flavors of its ingredients, balancing its chocolate and fresh cream flavors.

It surprisingly had some firmness to it, but eventually gives way and slowly melts in your mouth. We think this would be great paired with a smoky whiskey.

Our testers also appreciated the minimalistic package, which matches the characteristics of the chocolates inside. Consider this product if you want a nama chocolate that you can take your time and enjoy.

Ek Chuah's nama chocolate is made from Belgian chocolate and fresh cream and has been loved by many for over 20 years.

Not only could we taste its milky flavors, but found our taste buds were gradually exposed to more and more sweetness. All the while, there was still a chocolatey richness to finish things off. This was definitely a nama chocolate where it just keeps getting better and better with time.

Texture-wise, they were slightly firm and there was some bite to them, but since each piece was relatively small, they melted in the mouth with no issues. However, they seem to have a higher oil content, leaving a heavy greasiness in the mouth. These nama chocolates are best for those who want to enjoy the rich flavors of fresh cream.

Sils Maria CWK's Taketsuru Pure Malt Nama Chocolate is a product made in collaboration with Japanese whisky brand Taketsuru, a whisky known for its deep and rich flavors.

The moment you put a piece in your mouth, you'll be met with a strong boozy sharpness and fragrant whisky notes. While the aftertaste does have a chocolatey sweetness to it, it takes a back seat to Taketsuru's signature smoky flavors.

The mouthfeel of the nama chocolate is smooth, but the whisky taste lingers quite for some time, warming up the mouth as the chocolate melts. The chocolates come in a luxurious wooden box, making this the perfect gift for a whisky connoisseur.