On social networks, users can easily see images of chocolate originating from the UAE. Recently appearing on TikTok, Dubai chocolate has become a new "fever", attracting the attention of the online community not only in Vietnam but also spreading around the world.
Expensive snacks from Dubai
After just a few days, the hashtag #chocolatedubai has reached 25 million views, #socoladubai also has nearly 8,000 users' interests on TikTok. Thanks to the creativity of tiktokers, Dubai chocolate quickly became a "hot trend" on social networks. Videos reviewing and instructing how to make Dubai chocolate at home attracted millions of views, making many people curious and wanting to experience this unique flavor.
Expensive chocolate stirs up social media platforms
Behind the giant chocolate bars that have become popular on TikTok is Sarah Hamouda, founder of Fix Dessert Chocolatier in Dubai. The 38-year-old has lived in Dubai for nine years and launched the chocolate brand in 2021 as a side hustle. Inspired by pregnancy cravings, the British-Egyptian entrepreneur decided to create something more than just “regular” chocolate.
From a viral video, the hot Dubai chocolate bars on Tiktok became "sold out" and until now the owner of Fix Dessert Chocolatier still can't believe it's true.
Dubai chocolate is completely handmade, from shaping, decorating to packaging. Sarah said that the secret to making her chocolate bars is the special mold she uses to shape and the "unique" filling. In addition to the hazelnut butter chocolate bars that are known to many people on Tiktok, the appeal of Fix Dessert Chocolatier products is also many other flavors typical of Middle Eastern cuisine. From dates, karak (a spiced tea) and knafeh - a traditional Arabic dessert made from crumbly pastry, to pistachios (pistachios), soft sweet cheese and syrup.
In Dubai, it sells for around 65 Dirhams, equivalent to about 450,000 VND. Add shipping costs to Vietnam and a chocolate bar costs up to 600,000 - 700,000 VND. This chocolate bar has a green knafeh filling, also known as kunafa, with pistachios and tahini in a milk chocolate coating. Dubai chocolate is often coated with a thin layer of edible gold, creating a luxurious and classy look.
The irresistible appeal of expensive chocolate
If you don’t know what kunafa is or what it tastes like, it’s a Middle Eastern favorite that’s lightly sweet with a crunchy texture, richly flavored with mozzarella or ricotta cheese filling and a hint of sugar syrup. Knafeh is made with a special ingredient, kataifi, a pastry dough made from sheets of phyllo that are shredded into thin strips that develop a crunchy texture when baked. This Dubai chocolate version of the beloved knafeh from Fix Dessert Chocolatier takes advantage of the nostalgic flavor of knafeh with plenty of crunchy kataifi, a sweet pistachio cream filling, and tahini sauce to create an irresistible treat.
Part of the popularity of this chocolate bar is that it is not widely available and can only be ordered in Dubai. The brand started in 2021 and produces chocolate fillings based on unique local flavors. The chocolatiers have also created other fillings in flavors like knafeh and salted caramel biscuits, chocolate donut fillings, karak chai and white Biscoff cheesecake.
The trend of making expensive chocolate at home
Dubai chocolate is not widely available in the market, you can only order it directly from the brand's website or at some specialty stores in Dubai. This makes Dubai chocolate even "hotter", attracting the curiosity and attention of food lovers. The brand started in 2021 and produces stuffed chocolates based on unique local flavors. The chocolatiers have also created many other stuffed varieties with flavors such as knafeh and salted caramel biscuits, chocolate donuts, karak chai and white Biscoff cheesecake.
Unable to order, many “home chefs” have tried their hand at making hot Dubai chocolate on Tiktok at home. However, the challenge here is how to find kataifi – the most special ingredient of this chocolate.
Many homemade versions of Dubai chocolate were born.
It is known that kataifi can only be found in stores specializing in Middle Eastern cuisine and food, and is quite expensive. However, if you do not have Dubai-standard kataifi, you can still replace it with some other ingredients according to the recipe shared by hot Tiktokers.
For example, Tiktoker Eat What Thuong Oi's recipe for making kataifi noodles (including 80g corn flour, 110g flour, 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1 tablespoon cooking oil, 220ml water). Brush a thin layer of cooking oil on the pan, after mixing all the ingredients, put the flour mixture into a piping bag and sift evenly over a low heat pan until the noodles are soft. Then, use this homemade kataifi to make Dubai chocolate.
Many women who want to conquer the "hot trend" of Dubai chocolate have tried to find an alternative ingredient to kataifi. Many people replace it with dried vermicelli, grilled pork, dried coconut, etc. In fact, in the creative version, you can replace it with any ingredient you like or have available, but to be able to make a chocolate bar that is most similar to the original version is not easy.
In the original version, Dubai chocolate can be a bit sweet. When the trend came to Vietnam, Tiktokers said that the sweetness can be adjusted according to preference, so don't worry about it being too sweet. You can also choose the chocolate flavor according to the level of purity and price.
Next, the maker melts dark chocolate and any colored chocolate for decoration, randomly drizzles colored chocolate into the mold, waits until dry, then pours a thin layer of dark chocolate on top. Finally, spreads the knafeh filling evenly, covers with another layer of dark chocolate and flattens. Dubai chocolate needs to be stored in the refrigerator to prevent it from hardening.
Currently, FIX Dessert Chocolatier only opens orders from 2-5pm every day to avoid overload. On free trading platforms such as eBay (USA), Esty (UK), Sargurme (Dubai)... this type of chocolate is also out of stock.
