When it comes to food, I’ve always placed a higher emphasis on texture rather than the actual taste of it. While I love peanut butter or finely chopped almonds, for example, the nuts themselves in their natural form usually make me gag.

So it was with great excitement that I learned about ChocolaTexture, which is a range of nine chocolates all using the exact same recipe but crafted in different shapes and textures. As a result each chocolate is said to have a distinct “taste” despite being made from the exact same ingredients.

The concept came from design studio Nendo’s managing head designer, Oki Sato, who said that the inspiration came from his habit of going to the same cafes and ramen shops. Even though he ordered the same food, he would find small differences in taste.

Owing these differences in taste to changes in texture of the food – something that pro sushi chefs, who dedicate years of their life to learning how to slice fish in different ways, will undoubtedly affirm – Sato set out to harness that experience in his own line of chocolates. Each of these chocolates uses the same raw materials and has the same 26-cubic-centimeter size. They’re also named after the Japanese onomatopoeia representing their texture.

Tsubu-tsubu [lumpy/pebbly]
“Chunks of smaller chocolate drops”

Sube-sube [smooth]
“Smooth edges and corners”

Zara-zara [grainy]
“Granular like a file”

Toge-toge [spiky]
“Sharp pointed tips”

Goro-goro [rumbling]
“Fourteen connected small cubes”

Fuwa-fuwa [fluffy]
“Soft and airy with many tiny holes”

Poki-poki [snapping]
“A cube frame made of chocolate sticks”

Suka-suka [spongy]
“A hollow cube with thin walls”

Zaku-zaku [crunchy/layered]
“Alternately placed thin chocolate rods forming a cube”

After taking ChocolaTexture to France, Oki Sato won the Designer of the Year award at this year’s Maison et Object, one of Europe’s largest interior design events. It’s an excellent example of how seemingly small changes can have strong effects.

Now for the sad news: it looks as if ChocolateTexture is simply a concept work and not for sale anywhere. However, you could probably get some going yourself. All you need is some chocolate, a knife, and a whole lot of free time.

Source: Nendo (Japanese/English), Maison et Object (English) via Entabe (Japanese)
Images: Nendo, Photography by Akihiro Yoshida