Shop owner Ali Fakhro stands behind his counter at his Abu Khaled Sweets oriental pastry shop in Berlin's Wedding district on November 14. Ali Fakhro crafts and sells Dubai chocolate - a trend that has recently taken social media by storm. The buzz around the chocolate bar has piqued the interest of German customers, resulting in long lines outside stores.
Shop owner Ali Fakhro displays a bar of Dubai chocolate with gold leaf that he made at his Abu Khaled Sweets oriental pastry shop in Berlin's Wedding district on November 14. AFP
When Ali Fakhro arranges a row of pistachio-filled chocolate bars in the morning at his bakery in Berlin, he knows they will be sold out within hours. Inspired by the viral popularity of the crunchy treat known as "Dubai chocolate", Fakhro, 32, sought out a recipe and started making his own version two months ago. "On the first day I made 20 bars, but they were quickly snapped up. The next day, I made 50 -- all gone too," he said. The so-called Dubai chocolate was created in 2021 by British-Egyptian entrepreneur Sarah Hamouda, who is based in Dubai. The chunky treat features a blocky, hand-decorated chocolate bar with various quirky fillings — the signature flavor being a rich pistachio cream. The treat went viral when TikTok food influencer Maria Vehera posted a video of herself eating a bar in her car, which has since garnered over 100 million views. The original version is only available to local customers in limited quantities, but the trend has sparked a surge of imitations worldwide. Fakhro, who runs Abu Khaled Sweets in Berlin, experimented "several times" with different recipes before finally discovering the right ingredient to give the pistachio cream its famous crunch — a finely shredded Middle Eastern pastry known as kataifi. Germans have been eager to get their hands on the chocolate, with bars selling for over 100 euros ($104) online. 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 lined up for hours in the cold to get their hands on a bar.
Customers queue 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. AFP File Photo
At up to 20 euros per bar, the delicacy is far pricier than your average chocolate bar -- but that didn't deter anyone. "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. Lindt launched the chocolate in Germany with 1,000 numbered bars in 10 shops, a spokesman for the group told AFP, and is planning a similar launch in Austria on November 30. Dubai chocolate has also gained popularity in France, with a version by chocolatier Jeremy Bockel showcased at the 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 plans to sell it online rather than eat it himself. "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 left 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.
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