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This Pistachio-Filled Chocolate Bar Has Taken Over the Internet
If you’ve spent any time on TikTok in the past couple months, then you’ve probably encountered the Dubai Chocolate Bar, or a variation on it. With its gooey, crunchy, bright green interior and a thick coating of rich chocolate, it’s impossible to ignore and definitely stands out from all the other foods that are competing for attention on social media. But what is the Dubai Chocolate Bar, exactly, and where did it come from?
What is a Dubai Chocolate Bar?
The Dubai Chocolate Bar is actually a fairly simple combination of three components: pistachio cream, kataifi, and chocolate. The outer shell is a crunchy layer of milk chocolate, and inside is a creamy, gooey concoction that starts with pistachio cream, which is made by blending pistachios with powdered sugar, milk, and white chocolate (the thin brown skin is removed from the pistachios first by blanching, in order to improve the texture and color). This cream is mixed with kataifi, which is made by frying very thin strands of phyllo dough until they’re crisp and crunchy. It’s the primary ingredient in a popular Middle Eastern dessert called knafeh.
Why is it Called Dubai Chocolate?
As the name implies, the Dubai Chocolate Bar comes from Dubai. It was invented by a sweet shop there called Fix Dessert Chocolatier, who sells the bar (which they’ve named “Can’t Get Knafeh of It”) for 68.25 UAD, or about $18.50. This version mixes a little bit of tahini, or sesame seed paste, into the filling to give it a slightly nutty flavor, as well as chopped pistachios for texture. It’s only available in Dubai, but no shortage of imitations, dupes, and variations have popped up online, along with plenty of instructional videos on how to make them for yourself.
How to Get the Dubai Chocolate?
While you may not be able to sample the authentic specimen without hopping on a plane, one jaw-droppingly delicious variation is shipping nationwide on Goldbelly. From New Jersey-based Shortbread Society, the Dubai Pistachio Chocolate Bar Shortbread starts with a layer of Ghirardelli dark chocolate shortbread highlighted with vanilla and pistachio, which is topped with a traditional filling made with crisp kataifi, pistachio cream, and tahini. It’s topped off with a thick layer of decadent dark chocolate, and if you really want to go big, a thin layer of edible gold. It may be even better than the original!
Read More: How to Celebrate National Chocolate Day
