Namelaka

Namelaka is a Japanese cream whose name means “very creamy” in Japanese. It has a silky smooth consistency and is known for being incredibly light and melting sweetly in the mouth. Here’s how to prepare a white chocolate namelaka, which could be used as a filling or decoration for sweets.

Ingredients

• 265 g of white chocolate
• 6 g of sheet gelatin (fish glue)
• 125 g of whole milk
• 250 g of fresh liquid cream
• 1/2 vanilla pod (or a teaspoon of vanilla extract)

Preparation

1. Start by soaking the gelatin in cold water for about 10-15 minutes until it is soft.

2. In the meantime, finely chop the white chocolate and place it in a heatproof bowl.

3. Heat the whole milk with the split and scraped vanilla pod (or vanilla extract) until it is close to boiling.

4. Squeeze the gelatin to remove any excess water and dissolve it in the hot milk.

5. Pour the hot milk over the bowl with the white chocolate through a strainer to collect the vanilla pod or any impurities.

6. Let the mixture rest for about a minute, then gently stir to dissolve the chocolate and blend everything together.

7. When the emulsion is well formed, add the cold liquid cream and mix with an immersion blender to obtain a smooth and homogeneous cream.

8. Cover the cream with cling film touching the surface and let it cool in the refrigerator for at least 12 hours to allow the namelaka to set.

Remember that the secret to a perfect namelaka lies in the quality of the white chocolate: use good quality chocolate to get the best final result.

Curiosity

Even though the name and cream are of Japanese origin, the use of this technique has also become popular in Western pastry shops, especially in France, where it is known for its compatibility with different flavor bases, beyond white chocolate, such as milk chocolate, dark chocolate, matcha, or various fruits.