MAISON CACAO (メゾンカカオ), a fresh chocolate brand originating in Kamakura, is rolling out the seventh installment of its monthly "Fresh Gateau Chocolat Terroir Collection" on July 1, 2026 (Wednesday). The release is limited to 800 individually serialized boxes, each presented in a distinctive handmade washi paper wrapping crafted by 名尾手すき和紙 (Nao Handmade Washi), a workshop known for producing washi with expressions that vary from sheet to sheet.
Special Packaging: Nao Handmade Washi "Mizuasagi no Shizuku"
The No.7 box comes wrapped in a washi paper called 水浅葱のしずく (Mizuasagi no Shizuku — "teal drops"). The paper is made using groundwater from the Nao area, producing a pale teal-colored sheet. During the papermaking process, water is applied directly to the wet fibers, creating translucent, teardrop-shaped watermark patterns. Since the pattern forms at the moment water meets fiber, each sheet takes on a different appearance — no two boxes are alike.
Fresh Gateau Chocolat Terroir Collection No.7
Price: ¥3,780 (tax included)
No.7 is crafted with summer in mind. In addition to blending two types of Colombian cacao, the recipe pays particular attention to the sugar component — combining two varieties of black sugar (黒糖): one from Colombia and one from Hateruma Island in Okinawa. This combination draws out the delicate aromas and nuanced flavors of each cacao's origin, while delivering a clean sweetness and a light, refreshing finish suited to warmer months.
Flavor Notes
The two Colombian cacaos come from distinct growing regions:
- Southwest Colombia: One of the country's most ecologically rich producing areas, yielding cacao with bright fruitiness and pleasant nuttiness.
- Northeast Colombia (highlands): Mountain-grown cacao with depth — subtle astringency, layered bitterness, and complex acidity.
The interplay between these two origins, harmonized by the gentle sweetness of black sugar, allows the terroir of each region to come through in the finished gateau.
MAISON CACAO's Terroir Philosophy
Terroir — the combination of soil, climate, and natural environment that shapes the character of an agricultural product — is central to MAISON CACAO's approach. Colombia's varied topography, with multiple mountain ranges running north to south and mineral-rich water flowing from the Andes, provides conditions that produce cacao with markedly different flavor profiles depending on altitude and microclimate. The brand works with producers in these specific growing regions to preserve and express the character of each origin in its chocolate.
Precision Blending
MAISON CACAO fine-tunes its couverture chocolate in increments as small as 0.1%, adjusting the ratio of cacao mass, cacao butter, milk, and sugar. Cacao liquors from multiple origins are layered and combined, with the aim of creating a chocolate that reflects both the character of the growing region and the craft of the people who make it.
Availability
Price: ¥3,780 (tax included)
On sale: July 1, 2026 (Wednesday)
Quantity: 800 boxes, each with a unique serial number (sales end when sold out)
Available at seven MAISON CACAO stores and online:
- MAISON CACAO Kamakura Main Store — 1-9-33 Yukinoshita, Kamakura, Kanagawa (along Wakamiya Oji-dori)
- MAISON CACAO Kamakura Komachi Main Store — 2-9-7 Komachi, Kamakura, Kanagawa
- MAISON CACAO Marunouchi — Shin-Tokyo Building 1F, 3-3-1 Marunouchi, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo
- MAISON CACAO NEWoMAN Yokohama — NEWoMAN Yokohama 1F, 1-1-1 Minamisaiwai, Nishi-ku, Yokohama, Kanagawa
- MAISON CACAO GranSta Tokyo — GranSta Tokyo 1F, 1-9-1 Marunouchi, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo
- MAISON CACAO Haneda Airport — Terminal 1, 2F Marketplace "HANEDA STAR & LUXE," 3-3-2 Hanedakuko, Ota-ku, Tokyo
- MAISON CACAO JR Nagoya Takashimaya — B1F, 1-1-4 Meieki, Nakamura-ku, Nagoya, Aichi
Online shop: https://onlineshop.maisoncacao.com/products/nama-gateau-chocolat-no-7-2026
