Germany goes nuts for viral pistachio chocolate

BIG HIT Customers line up in front of. Lindt store before the sale of 100 Dubai chocolate bars in Stuttgart, Germany, on Nov. 15. —PHOTOS BY AFP

BERLIN—When Ali Fakhro lays out a row of pistachio-filled chocolate bars in the morning at his bakery in Berlin, he knows they will be gone in a matter of hours.

Inspired by the viral success of the crunchy delicacy known as “Dubai chocolate,” Fakhro, 32, hunted down a recipe and began making his own version two months ago.

Customers line-up in front of a branch of chocolate producer Lindt before the sale of 100 Dubai Chocolate bars starts in Stuttgart, southern Germany, on November 15, 2024. The hype around the chocolate bar – usually filled with pistachio and tahini paste and crispy Kadaif noodles – has also sparked the interest in German customers and led to long queues outside shops.

“On the first day I made 20 bars, but they went fast. The next day, I made 50—all gone too,” he said.

So-called Dubai chocolate was invented in 2021 by British Egyptian entrepreneur Sarah Hamouda, who is based in Dubai.

The chunky treat consists of a blocky, hand-decorated chocolate bar with various quirky fillings—the signature flavor being a rich pistachio cream.

GOLD TREAT A slice of Dubai chocolate with gold leaves are on display at Abu Khaled Sweets in Berlin.

The treat went viral when TikTok food influencer Maria Vehera posted a video of herself eating a bar in her car, which has since been viewed more than 100 million times.

Queueing in the cold

The real thing is only available to local customers in limited quantities, but the trend has led to an explosion of copycat versions of the chocolate around the world.

Shop owner Ali Fakhro prepares Dubai chocolate at his Abu Khaled Sweets oriental pastry shop in Berlin’s Wedding district on November 14, 2024. Ali Fakhro makes and sells Dubai chocolate – a trend that has recently gone viral on social media. The hype about the chocolate bar – usually filled with pistachio and tahini paste and crispy Kadaif noodles – has also sparked the interest in German customers and led to long queues outside shops.

Fakhro, who runs Abu Khaled Sweets in Berlin, experimented “several times” with different recipes before finally landing on the right ingredient to give the pistachio cream its famous crunch—a finely shredded Middle Eastern pastry known as kataifi.

Germans have been scrambling to get their hands on the chocolate with bars selling for over $104 on the internet.

REAL THING Ali Fakhro demonstrates the preparation of Dubai chocolate at his pastry shop in Berlin’s Wedding district on Nov. 14.

Last week, a 31-year-old man was caught by customs attempting to smuggle 45 kg of the sweet treat into Germany from Switzerland.

When Swiss manufacturer Lindt launched its own version of the Dubai chocolate in Germany this month, customers queued for hours in the cold to get their hands on a bar.

At up to $21 per bar, the delicacy is far more expensive than your average chocolate bar—but that didn’t seem to be putting anyone off.

“I waited 10 hours. I’ve been here since midnight just to taste this chocolate,” 18-year-old student Leon Faehnle told AFP outside a Lindt shop in Stuttgart.

‘Easy money’

Lindt launched the chocolate in Germany with 1,000 numbered bars in 10 shops, a spokesperson for the group told AFP, and is planning a similar launch in Austria on Nov. 30.

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Dubai chocolate has also been a hit in France, with a version by chocolatier Jeremy Bockel on show at Salon du Chocolat in Paris earlier this month.

Yannick Burkhard, 21, queued for three hours in Stuttgart to get his hands on the chocolate—but is not planning to eat any of it himself. Instead, he will sell it on the internet.

Shop owner Ali Fakhro presents bars of Dubai chocolate he made at his Abu Khaled Sweets oriental pastry shop in Berlin’s Wedding district on November 14, 2024. Ali Fakhro makes and sells Dubai chocolate – a trend that has recently gone viral on social media. The hype about the chocolate bar – usually filled with pistachio and tahini paste and crispy Kadaif noodles – has also sparked the interest in German customers and led to long queues outside shops.

“I would never pay that much for this. It’s quick and easy money,” he said with a smile.

“This bar cost 15 euros, but it can sell for almost 100 euros… There are lots of offers on eBay, up to 300 euros,” said a customer who gave his name only as Lucas, 24.

Faehnle had a more wholesome plan for his bars as he exited the shop in Stuttgart beaming with pride at his purchase.

“Now I’m going to go home and share them with my grandparents,” he said.

AFP

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