Nanko Ume Plum & Almond Praline

Nanko Ume plums are Japan’s finest, flourishing on mountain slopes near the seashore in the sunny climes of Wakayama. Since old times, the unripe plums have been pickled along with red shiso leaves, but this recipe instead employs the golden, fully ripe fruit, imbuing the chocolate with its spectacularly fruity fragrance and refreshing tartness. At the bottom of the bonbon is a praline of almonds, interestingly members of the same rose family as plums in botanical terms. This lends softness to the plum’s tart flavor for a unique and marvelously flavor-balanced delight.

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.