BERLIN – When Ali Fakhro lined up rows of pistachio-filled chocolate bars in his Berlin shop in the morning, he knew they would all be gone in just a few hours.
Inspired by the success of the crunchy viral treat known as ‘Dubai chocolate’, Fakhro, 32, searched for a recipe and started making his own version two months ago.
“On the first day, I made 20 bars, but they all ran out quickly. The next day, I made 50 bars — also sold out,” he said.
The well-known Dubai Chocolate was created in 2021 by British-Egyptian entrepreneur, Sarah Hamouda, who is based in Dubai.
This treat is a thick chocolate bar, hand-decorated with a variety of unique fillings – the signature flavor being the dense pistachio filling.
The dish went viral when TikTok food influencer Maria Vehera uploaded a video of herself enjoying the bar in her car, which has now been viewed more than 100 million times.
The original version is only available to local customers in limited quantities, but this trend has led to an explosion of imitation versions of the chocolate around the world.
Fakhro, who runs Abu Khaled Sweets in Berlin, experimented ‘several times’ with different recipes before finally finding the right ingredients to give the pistachio cream its famous crunchy texture – a delicate Middle Eastern pastry known as kataifi.
German residents are scrambling to get the chocolate with the price of one bar reaching over US$104 on the internet.
Last week, a 31-year-old man was arrested by customs for trying to smuggle 45 kilograms of chocolate into Germany from Switzerland.
When Swiss manufacturer Lindt launched their own version of Dubai chocolate in Germany this month, customers were willing to queue for hours in the cold to get their hands on the chocolate.
At up to 20 euros per bar, this chocolate is much more expensive than regular chocolate — but that doesn’t stop people.
“I waited for 10 hours. I’ve been here since midnight just to taste this chocolate,” Leon Faehnle, an 18-year-old student, told AFP outside the Lindt store in Stuttgart.
Lindt is launching the chocolate in Germany with 1,000 numbered bars in 10 stores, a spokesperson for the group told AFPand plans a similar launch in Austria on November 30.
Dubai chocolate is also a hit in France, with a version by chocolatier Jeremy Bockel on display at the Salon du Chocolat in Paris earlier this month.
Yannick Burkhard, 21, queued for three hours in Stuttgart to get the chocolate – but has no plans to eat it. Instead, he will sell it on the internet.
“I wouldn’t pay that much for this. It’s quick and easy money,” he said with a smile.
“This bar costs 15 euros, but can be sold for almost 100 euros… There are many offers on eBay, up to 300 euros,” said a customer who only identified himself as Lucas, 24.
Faehnle had purer plans for his chocolate bar as he walked out of the shop in Stuttgart with a proud smile on his successful purchase. “Now I will go home and share with my grandparents,” he said. – AFP