Recipe: Chilli matcha chocolate
A few months ago, we’ve looked at how to make some scrumptious matcha pancakes and the all-time favourite matcha latte. This time we’ll take it a step further; get ready for some white chocolate with chili, matcha, and sake!
Some time ago, my English teacher brought some wasabi chocolate from the local Tesco to class. I’m fairly well known for my love of Asian sweets & cookery, and so all of the other students decided to wait for me to make the first bite.
I was terrified. Not by the fact that the chocolate had wasabi in it—after all, what could possibly surprise me after cucumber Pepsi and black chewing gum—but because I knew that a Tesco-branded wasabi chocolate couldn’t possibly be any good, and thus that the rest of that day’s conversations would revolve around how strange those ‘crazy Japanese’ must be if they can eat such disgusting sweets. Those who know Japan at least a little better than the average Joe will be aware that one of the main characteristics (and according to some, a major problem) of modern Japanese lifestyle is obsession with quality, and that this is especially true when it comes to food.
Japan may be an expensive country, but even the cheapest ready-made meals from a konbini are of higher quality than most of what’s offered in Western countries. The food in them is always very fresh, and this is ensured by large amounts of food being discarded at the end of the day, every day. Japanese also dislike food with excessively strong flavours, and have very strict laws concerning food additives, which further promotes healthy diet.
Unless you have the luxury of a well-supplied Japanese shop in your neighbourhood, the closest you can get to quality Japanese food in the west is by cooking it yourself. Let’s stop the talk, and get into the action!
Matcha chocolate with chilli
Ingredients:
100 g high-quality white chocolate
cca. 40 ml double cream
1 tbsp nihonshu
matcha powder
chilli powder
1. Finely chop white chocolate and place into a bowl; add a little bit of chilli powder.
2. In a saucepan, bring cream & nihonshu to a boil and simmer for 1 minute. Stir in matcha, ideally with a chasen (traditional bamboo whisk).
3. Turn off the heat and let stay for a minute; pour over the chocolate and mix until smooth and creamy. If the cream is already too cold to melt all of the chocolate, you can continue cooking the mix in a bain-marie.
4. Pour mixture into moulds or on baking paper and let cool to room temperature. Then leave to set in the fridge for 2–3 hours. If you have used too much cream and the chocolate doesn’t harden, put it in the freezer and serve cold.
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