Dubai Chocolate: How One Woman's Pregnancy Craving Became A Viral $35 Chocolate Bar
Dubai Chocolate: How One Woman's Pregnancy Craving Became A Viral $35 Chocolate Bar
Most of us associate pregnancy cravings with the most bizarre combinations imaginable, like pickles and ice cream or Hot Cheetos dipped in yogurt. However, for Sarah Hamouda, co-founder of FIX Dessert Chocolatier in Dubai, it was something far classier.
The global phenomenon dubbed Dubai Chocolate—a combination of milk chocolate, pistachio paste, tahini, and shredded knafeh pastry—was born out of hormone-fueled food urges while she was expecting. Little did she know it would explode into the much-coveted item it is today.
How it all began
In an effort to curb her pregnancy cravings for knafeh and pistachio, Hamouda came up with a chocolate bar she called "Can't Get Knafeh Of It." The result was a chocolate unlike anything on the shelves—rich, aromatic, layered, and rooted in Middle Eastern flavor traditions. It became a global phenomenon when TikTok influencer Maria Vehera posted a video of herself devouring one in her car.
"Can’t explain how good these are!" Vehera said in the caption, "When a chocolate, a dessert, and a piece of art meet, this is what you get!"
The video instantly garnered 125 million views, and people around the world were suddenly obsessed with getting their hands on one. It was the internet that gave the bar its name, "Dubai chocolate," its association with the glitzy city giving it a whole new level of prestige.
Today, the original Dubai Chocolate from FIX sells for $20 and can only be purchased at certain times of the day to ensure the small chocolatier can meet the demand.
However, given its global success, major chocolatiers like Lindt and Ülker, as well as small local confectioneries, have started creating their own version, selling them for anywhere from $15 to $35 per bar.
FIX's other co-founder and Hamouda's husband, Yezen Alani, told the BBC these imitations are "very frustrating because people are trying knockoffs, which damages our brand."
Even so, these spinoff bars are extremely popular, with Dubai Chocolate even being linked to a global pistachio shortage. It's been subject to illegal smuggling, store rationing, and has become a multi-million dollar industry, making $22 million in sales in the first three months alone. It also helped Dubai Duty Free sales reach a new record high.
What makes it so special?
Looking at FIX's original Dubai Chocolate, you can see this is a bar well-poised to go viral on social media. The bar isn't just tasty—it's a full sensory experience. First, it's beautiful, with striking orange and green spots adorning its smooth and shiny milk chocolate surface.
But the real standout element is the texture. The creamy pistachio filling is perfectly contrasted against the crunch of the knafeh, which is similar to phyllo pastry. It's not just the way it looks that makes it perfect for socials, but the way it sounds.
"The velvety gooeyness of the pistachio cream doesn't just feel good on your palate; it is also visually attractive," food writer Aylin Öney Tan told the BBC. "The crunchy texture of the kadayif pastry from the knafeh makes the dessert even more irresistible."
