Daitokuji Temple Natto

Natto is a traditional Japanese food made from fermented soybeans, and for centuries the monks of Kyoto’s Daitokuji Temple have salted and cured the beans to make a preserve known as Daitokuji Temple natto. Its salty zest and richly flavorful depth, owing to the wealth of amino acids generated by fermentation, go splendidly with mellow milk chocolate. The blend of bold savor, saltiness, and milky sweetness is Japan’s answer to the French classic “caramel au beurre sale,” salted butter caramel.

The International Chocolate Awards

The International Chocolate Awards were launched in 2012 by members of the authoritative fine chocolate review website Seventy% and London’s week-long celebration Chocolate Week. The competition aims to honor excellence in fine chocolate from around the world, at all stages from the cacao plantation to the chocolatier’s kitchen. Today in the United States and around the world, the “bean to bar” movement is gaining momentum. This means one chocolate maker handles all aspects of production from roasting and processing cacao on the plantation to manufacturing and selling chocolates. Chef Koyama has had an eye on global trends such as this one for quite some time, and made the decision to enter the Americas Semi-final of the International Chocolate Awards, sensing an exciting incentive to explore new creative possibilities.