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In the realm of online food trends, nothing is going quite as viral as “Dubai chocolate” — a rich chocolate shell filled with pistachio cream and a shredded dough called kataifi.
The Big Bite: Viral food and beverage trends are shaking markets, tastes, and even supply chains. But deciding which trends are fleeting and which ones are here to stay (a corporate strategy called “social listening”) is a decision that could cost businesses millions of dollars — in either sunk costs if they whiff or lost revenue if they become more than a momentary fad.
Behind the Flavor: Could Dubai chocolate be the next pumpkin spice?
- The Dubai chocolate flavor is showing up in everything these days — candy bars, milkshakes, coffees, cheesecakes, you name it.
- Mainstream food brands like Crumbl, Trader Joe’s, Shake Shack, and Dunkin’ have all gotten on the trend. And some startups are popping up that just sell Dubai chocolate products.
- But how popular is it really? Shake Shack’s limited-edition Dubai chocolate milkshake sold out across the country within hours when it debuted in April.
- But all this demand is creating plenty of headaches — cocoa prices have more than tripled in the past couple of years, pistachio prices are now skyrocketing, and it’s becoming harder for brands to get their hands on kataifi.
Last Bite: Dubai chocolate started in Dubai (obviously) by Fix Dessert Chocolatier co-founder Sarah Hamouda, who made it to satisfy a pregnancy craving, per The WSJ. It wasn’t originally called Dubai chocolate, but the nickname somehow stuck as word got around and then came to international attention when Maria Vehera, an influencer from the UAE, posted a video of herself eating it on TikTok.
No one really knows exactly why Dubai chocolate became a viral sensation. But beyond its unique blend of flavors, Shake Shack’s director of global culinary and product development, Jim Frisch, thinks a growing cultural fascination with Dubai might have something to do with it.
Next Serving: Plenty of locales are already known for iconic desserts (if you go to Paris without getting a croissant, did you even go?). But don’t be surprised if more tourism boards start leaning into unique sweets as a key marketing tool — a trend known as “bakery tourism.”
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