Chocolate Texture, Chocolates Seen by Nendo

Chocolatexture is a project by Japanese design studio nendo, created for Maison&Objet Paris 2015, where nendo was named Designer of the Year.

Instead of changing the cocoa origin, cacao percentage, fillings, or chocolatier’s technique, nendo focused on a single question: can the shape and texture of chocolate change the way it tastes?

The project consists of nine chocolates, each fitting within a 26 x 26 x 26 mm cube. The ingredients are the same, but each piece has a different surface, edge, or internal structure, producing a different sensation in the mouth.

1. tubu-tubu: many small particles gathered together.
2. sube-sube: smooth, with rounded edges and corners.
3. zara-zara: rough and granular, like a file.
4. toge-toge: sharp, pointed tips.
5. goro-goro: fourteen small cubes connected at their corners.
6. fuwa-fuwa: soft and airy, with many small holes.
7. poki-poki: a cube-like frame made from thin chocolate sticks.
8. suka-suka: hollow, with thin walls.
9. zaku-zaku: thin bars stacked alternately to form a cube.

The result is a small but precise experiment in sensory design: the same chocolate, transformed by form.