Dubai chocolate
| Place of origin | Dubai, United Arab Emirates | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Region or state | Worldwide | ||||||
| Created by | Fix Dessert Chocolatier | ||||||
| Main ingredients | Chocolate, Pistachio, Kadayif | ||||||
| 516.3 kcal (2162 kJ) | |||||||
| |||||||
Dubai chocolate is a chocolate bar with a filling made of kadayif (knafeh) and pistachio. It was first created by Fix Dessert Chocolatier in Dubai in 2022, branded as Can't Get Knafeh of It. This product became popular in 2024 after being promoted by influencers on social media[1][2].
History
[edit]Fix Dessert Chocolatier was founded in Dubai in 2021 by Sarah Hamouda, a British-Egyptian entrepreneur.[1][2] She aimed to create chocolate bars that combined unique textures and flavors, focusing on the filling to set her company apart from competitors.[3] She was inspired by her pregnancy cravings to make the Dubai chocolate.[2] The Dubai chocolate was originally sold under the name "Can't Get Knafeh of It" and is still sold by that name by Fix Dessert Chocolatier.[4]
Dubai chocolate first gained widespread popularity when on December 18, 2023, an influencer under the name mariavehera257 posted a video on TikTok lasting just over a minute, showing her eating various types of chocolate from Fix Dessert Chocolatier, including the Dubai chocolate.[5] A year later, the video had garnered over 100 million views, and several other influencers also created videos of themselves eating the chocolate.[6]
Complex production methods and increasing demand drove up prices. This led to individuals buying Dubai chocolate in bulk from shops and producers and then reselling it on the secondary market at a much higher margin.[7] There have been reports of burglary to get the chocolate bars.[8]
Cases of chocolate bar smuggling have been reported. In October 2024, smugglers were caught twice within a few days by Austrian customs, smuggling around 2,540 bars of 200 grams (7 oz) each across the border without paying customs duty.[9] In November 2024, a smuggler tried to bring 45 kilograms (100 lb) of Dubai chocolate across the border near Weil am Rhein.[10]
Ingredients
[edit]Dubai chocolate is made from milk chocolate and is filled with a sweet cream made from pistachios mixed with finely chopped kadayif. Dubai chocolate is produced as a flat chocolate bar weighing around 100 grams.[11]
Legal disputes
[edit]
Counterfeits and Copycats
Quickly after the FIX video went viral, people started to create their own versions. Frequently influencers created Dubai Chocolate in their kitchen and often claimed to be the inventor. The frequency of counterfeit and copycat instances grew so much that the original brand published several statements that they only are available on Deliveroo in the UAE.
Legal Disputes
In addition to Fix Dessert Chocolatier, large scale manufacturers such as Lindt began to produce and market them as Dubai Chocolate. In Germany, an importer of a copycat Fix Dubai Chocolate issued a cease-and-desist letter to the manufacturer Lindt, Aldi and Lidl because it did not produce in Dubai.[12] While geographical indications are in principle protectable under the Geneva Act of the Lisbon Agreement, the United Arab Emirates has not signed the agreement.[13] The cease-and-desist letter was not successful as many Dubai Chocolates are still available in German supermarkets. There have been no court rulings as of December 2024.
According to most legal scholars, the term "Dubai chocolate" is already a generic trademark in the EU Market and does not contain any geographical indication .[14]
Studies and allergens
[edit]A study by the Baden-Württemberg Ministry of Consumer Protection found that all eight samples of the products were considered "defective", with five samples containing foreign fat rather than authentic chocolate. The study also found that the samples were not fit for human consumption due to contamination in the manufacturing process, with three samples being found to contain traces of undeclared sesame. A screening also revealed high levels of mold toxins (aflatoxins).[15][16]
See also
[edit]References
[edit]- ^ a b Michollek, Nadine (10 December 2024). "Trending treat 'Dubai chocolate' — but who owns the name?". dw.com. Deutsche Welle. Retrieved 16 December 2024.
- ^ a b c Cairns, Rebecca (18 June 2024). "Meet the woman behind Dubai's viral super-chunky chocolate bar". edition.cnn.com. CNN. Retrieved 16 December 2024.
- ^ Carstensen, Linda (7 November 2024). "Falstaff Exclusive: An Interview with Sarah Hamouda, Creator of Dubai Chocolate". falstaff.com. Falstaff. Retrieved 21 December 2024.
- ^ "'Can't Get Knafeh of It': Viral 'Dubai Chocolate' sparks global craze fueled by social media". jpost.com. The Jerusalem Post. 26 November 2024. Retrieved 21 December 2024.
- ^ Weiss, Sabrina (23 August 2024). "A 'Dubai Chocolate Bar' Is Going Viral on TikTok — How the Green Filling Is Made and Where to Find It in the U.S." people.com. People magazine. Retrieved 21 December 2024.
- ^ "What's behind the viral 'Dubai chocolate' craze". trtworld.com. TRT World. Retrieved 21 December 2024.
- ^ "Dubai-inspired luxury: Lindt's limited-edition chocolates are selling for incredible prices on the secondary market". trademagazin.hu. 22 November 2024. Retrieved 21 December 2024.
- ^ Specks, Tim (10 November 2024). "Dubai-Schokolade aus Luxus-Mercedes geklaut". bild.de (in German). Bild. Retrieved 21 December 2024.
- ^ "Schmuggel mit Dubai-Schokolade aufgeflogen" (in German). Der Spiegel. 8 December 2024. Retrieved 21 December 2024.
- ^ "Weil am Rhein: Mann will 45 Kilogramm Dubai-Schokolade nach Deutschland schmuggeln". swr.de (in German). Südwestrundfunk. 21 November 2024. Retrieved 21 December 2024.
- ^ Ilgar, Oyku (12 December 2024). "How The Dubai Chocolate Sensation Is Creating A Supply Chain Strain". Forbes. Retrieved 21 December 2024.
- ^ Dietrich, Pauline (11 December 2024). "Muss "Dubai-Schokolade" aus Dubai kommen?". lto.de (in German). Legal Tribune Online. Retrieved 16 December 2024.
- ^ "Markenstreit um Dubai-Schokolade: Deutscher Importeur mahnt Hersteller Lindt ab". businessinsider.de (in German). Business Insider. 8 December 2024. Retrieved 21 December 2024.
- ^ Ullrich, Ann-Kathrin (14 December 2024). "Aldi und Lidl: Wegen Dubai-Schokolade! Jetzt kommt es knüppeldick". derwesten.de (in German). Der Westen. Retrieved 21 December 2024.
- ^ KooDe (2024-12-19). "Dubai Schokolade: Auffälligkeiten bei Proben". ZDF Heute (in German). Retrieved 2024-12-29.
- ^ "Hype um „Dubai-Schokolade" – Was steckt wirklich drin?". Baden-Württemberg - The Food and Animal Health Inspection Offices (in German). 19 December 2024. Retrieved 31 December 2024.
External links
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