"MAMANO" is a small chocolate specialty store in Akasaka, Tokyo. A fair trade shop specializing in the rare Ecuadorian cacao "Aliba cacao".

"Chocolate Kakigori" and "Chocolate Snow Mountain" will be on sale from June 9th. It's not "chocolate sauce" on top of shaved ice, but "shaved ice made from chocolate" !


MAMANO is about a 1-minute walk from Akasaka Mitsuke Station. It's in a red brick building. It's hard to see from the entrance, but there is a small store of about 2 tsubo opposite the Chinese restaurant.



The items lined up in the store are all made with alibacao, such as raw chocolate and scones. It is said to be the native species of all cacao, and it is a high-class product called "phantom cacao" that can only be obtained in South America and Ecuador. It has a flower-like scent and fruitiness. The store imports and sells products cultivated by the traditional natural farming method called chakra farming by fair trade to support the production areas.

Of course, it seems that this Alibaba cacao is also used in the shaved ice released this time. Let's make it right away.

What was set in the ice shaving machine was a lump of chocolate-colored ice. If you turn the handle with your hands, you will see fluffy chocolate-colored ice. Softly and thickly layer ice, topped with fruit and bite-sized white balls. A generous amount of chocolate sauce is sprinkled on top of it.



Finally, meet the first "chocolate shaved ice"!

The handed shaved ice is heavy and heavy , with fruits added along the edge of the stunning chocolate-colored ice mountain, giving it a colorful finish. It's more like a parfait than shaved ice .


The moment you scoop it up and put it in your mouth, you will be impressed by the scent of chocolate that spreads softly! There is no wateriness at all. That should be it, the ice used for this shaved ice is frozen by mixing only milk, chocolate and granulated sugar . It seems that there is no water in it. What's more, it's surprising because it contains about 50g (1.76oz) of chocolate.

I wanted to make shaved ice, but "chocolate shaved ice" was unprecedented, and at first I tried sprinkling chocolate sauce on regular ice. "But I didn't get used to it," he said. He decided to freeze the chocolate itself, and took about two months to reach this formulation while making many prototypes.

I'm sure there have been many people who wanted to make chocolate shaved ice. However, it may be the first time in the world that I have pursued chocolate so devotedly and made shaved ice with chocolate.

The texture and taste overturned the image of shaved ice. It has a fluffy, crispy, shaved ice-like texture, but the texture is smooth and rich, as if you were eating gelato. It's so rich that it makes me feel like I'm eating a cake.


However, it is still shaved ice. It will melt over time. But this melted part is also excellent. Like a chocolate drink, you can enjoy a rich taste until the end. I was told, "It's big, so it's better to share it with two people ~", but the aftertaste is refreshing and not persistent, so even one person ate it completely. Very satisfied.


This "chocolate shaved ice" is currently scheduled to be sold by the end of September. The price is 820 yen (tax included) for the special size we received this time, and 420 yen (tax included) for the mini size, which is about one-third of that. The chocolate used for the special size is about 50g (1.76oz), and considering that the plate chocolate is sold for 103 yen for 10g (0.35oz), the chocolate alone is over 500 yen. It is a very profitable dish. "If it has a good reputation, I would like to sell it in winter," but for the time being, please try it in the summer.

By the way, the most popular item at the store is a scone with 85% alibaca cao bitter chocolate. Many people buy them as souvenirs and snacks. The combination of bitter but fruity scented chocolate is a perfect balance with the dough that melts in your mouth. Kakigori cannot be used as a souvenir, but how about sharing delicious chocolate with it?