Dubai, infamously known for being a city built on vision and velocity, where the skyline keeps getting higher, and luxury is never an afterthought, it only made sense that its chocolate had to match the mood.
You’ve probably seen it online — a thick, chocolate bar oozing with rich pistachio cream and packed with Kataifi crunch. Some call it a trend, an expensive treat. Others say it’s the best thing to hit dessert shelves in years. But behind the social media frenzy, there’s a story that blends tradition, innovation, and a bit of unexpected genius.
The Taste That Took Over TikTok
Dubai chocolate didn’t start in a lab or factory. It began, as per usual, with a craving.
Sarah Hamouda, a British-Egyptian woman living in Dubai, was pregnant and searching for a very specific chocolate flavor — something rich, indulgent, and unlike anything she could find in stores.
When nothing hit the spot, she took matters into her own hands. What she created was a bar that blurred the lines between dessert and chocolate: combining creamy pistachio filling, crisp chocolate shell, and a satisfying crunch thanks to kadayıf, a crispy Middle Eastern pastry made from shredded dough.
What started as a personal craving quickly turned into a product. And not long after, a phenomenon.
Hamouda’s creation, sold under her brand Fix Dessert Chocolatier, caught fire online, especially on TikTok and Instagram, where creators shared videos breaking the bar in half to reveal its vibrant green filling. The combination of color, texture, and indulgence made it irresistibly watchable.
Chocolate Meets Culture
While the name “Dubai chocolate” speaks to its place of birth, the bar’s flavor profile is unmistakably Middle Eastern.
Pistachio has long been a staple in regional desserts, from baklava to Turkish delights. It’s a flavor associated with richness and craftsmanship. What made this chocolate bar different wasn’t just the inclusion of pistachio, but the way it was used: as rich cream packed inside chocolate and layered with the crispy surprise of kadayıf.
That crunch is crucial — and it’s what separates Dubai chocolate from other pistachio chocolates on the market. It’s not just smooth or sweet. It bites back.
Not the First Pistachio Chocolate — But Definitely the Loudest
This isn’t the first time pistachios and chocolate have joined forces. The combination dates back to 1933, when Nestlé launched a Swiss chocolate called Damak, named after the Turkish word for “palate”. It wasn’t until 1966 that Damak made its way into the Turkish market, where it remains beloved to this day.
But what Dubai chocolate did differently was two main things: turn the pistachio into a cream, and bring the crunch of Kataifi.
Texture is king. The pistachio cream may grab the eye, but it’s the kadayıf, those golden, crispy threads of dough, that elevate the bar from good to unforgettable. Crunch isn’t new to chocolate (think Toblerone, Ferrero Rocher, or Rice Krispies), but the type of crunch here is distinct: light, buttery, and familiar to anyone who’s ever tried Middle Eastern desserts like künefe or Cennet Çamuru. Whether Dubai chocolate directly drew inspiration from this or not, the DNA is clearly shared.
The result is a chocolate bar that feels like baklava met a lava cake and got dressed in gold. It’s traditional yet new, rich but not overwhelming.
Trend or New Classic?
Dubai chocolate follows a familiar pattern in the dessert world. Like tiramisu, cheesecake, or cold baklava, it began as a niche creation. Spread through social media, it exploded into public consciousness. Many of these trends fade. Some stay.
So will Dubai chocolate last?
If the steady demand and rising number of new brands are any sign, it’s not going anywhere anytime soon. Some stick closely to the original. Others remix it with different nuts, flavored creams, or new textures.
Here at Rah, we look to improve unto the already created base, by bringing the best quality ingredients on the market. So the foundation remains: rich pistachio cream, chocolate, and the crunch.