Latest news with #Can'tGetKnafehOfIt
What's On
26-05-2025
- Entertainment
- What's On
The viral Dubai chocolate has a pop-up in DXB Terminal 3
The viral Dubai chocolate is calling… If you thought the FIX craze had faded, you thought wrong, because the viral Dubai chocolate is now selling exclusively at the airport, and the people are all here for it. Social media reports are telling us that this cute and colourful whimsical pop-up is located across from Cartier and is impossible to miss. That's right – FIX Chocolate is hosting an exclusive pop-up in DXB Terminal 3 after capturing the hearts and and bank accounts of travellers scouring Duty Free. The wrapped up there this April, but the heartbreak was too loud, and now they're back. View this post on Instagram A post shared by FIX Dessert Chocolatier (@fixdessertchocolatier) You might also like 5 of the best restaurants in Dubai this week: May 26 to 29 While they have a whole host of delicious flavours, a limited number are available at the airport – Can't Get Knafeh Of It, both the milk and dark versions, Pick Up A Pretzel, also the milk and dark versions, and Mind Your Own Buiscoff, the luxurious biscoff flavour. And while one may fear being faced with sold out signs, they're restocking constantly so you won't miss out. After taking social media, Dubai and then the whole world by storm, the insanely indulgent bars are still in high demand. It's no surprise the viral chocolate is near impossible to get your hands on and everyone has jumped on the bandwagon – even the royals. Earlier last year, we saw the FIX Chocolate x Fazza collaboration, a uniquely crafted, specially created Halawat Dubai flavour. Besides this iconic flavour, some of our personal favourites are Can't Get Knafeh of it, Pick Up A Pretzel and Butter To Be Safe Than Salty, all decadent bombs of flavour and sugary goodness that will send you to Nirvana. There are loads more, but these are the best Pick up a bar or two on your way out of the country for a sweet holiday – and some serious flexing rights. @fixdesertchocolatier Images: Supplied/ Socials
Daily Mirror
08-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mirror
Home Bargains launches 'insane' new £1.25 Dubai-style treats
Shoppers were divided by the treat you can now get cheaper at Home Bargains than in other stores Home Bargains shoppers can get their hands on another tasty treat inspired by the viral Dubai chocolate bar. This new form could go perfectly alongside a cup of tea - and it costs just over £1. The discount shop posted on its official Instagram feed and urged fans of the viral treats to "run" as stores were stocking something else to satisfy sweet tooths. The clip showed the £1.25 Dubai Chocolate Cookies that should be available to buy in Home Bargains stores now (May 8). Home Bargains did hop on the Dubai-style trend with cake bars and bite-sized chocolates. Now, these milk chocolate biscuits with a creamy pistachio centre have become an option for shoppers. One said: "These look insane!" Another added: "Stop it now!" A third wrote: "Adding to shopping list!" Someone else posted: "[These are] 75p cheaper than Iceland!" The biscuits are also available at Iceland stores. The supermarket specialising in frozen foods started stocking the treats in April and are selling the biscuits for £2 a pack. However, not all shoppers were convinced by them. One claimed: "They're lovely but the pistachio taste is very weak!" Another added: "Iceland had these for weeks but unfortunately not nice!" A third wrote: "Doesn't taste of anything the chocolate isn't nice either!" What is 'Dubai Chocolate'? The original "Dubai Chocolate Bar" is actually called "Can't Get Knafeh Of It." This was created by Fix Dessert Chocolatier based in Dubai, UAE. Popularised on TikTok, this sweet treat is a blend of milk chocolate filled with a pistachio cream and crispy kataifi (shredded phyllo pastry) filling. It is said to be inspired by the Middle Eastern dessert knafeh, a traditional Arab dessert. The trend started in 2024 but exploded in populairty in recent momths and has led to a huge demand for recreations outside of the UAE. Some were quickly cleared from shop shelves - including Lindt, B&M and Lidl - as fans wanted to try a budget-friendly version of the viral chocolate. People have even tried making their own homemade versions. Lots of supermarkets like Asda, Tesco and Aldi have started stocking the all-important pistachio cream, which combines with readily available phyllo pastry for that crunchy texture.
BBC News
04-05-2025
- Entertainment
- BBC News
'It was born to be a champion': How Dubai chocolate conquered the world
Invented to satiate pregnancy cravings, Dubai chocolate is a rare combination of creativity, flavours and social media success that has broken all industry records. It was a cold, damp evening in Munich in December 2024, but the festive tunes and the twinkling fairy lights at the Marienplatz Christkindlmarkt (Christmas market) lifted my spirits. With a mug of glühwein (hot mulled wine) in hand, I made my way to the candy stall to get my usual supply of German Christmas cookies. But I stopped in my tracks when I realised that the longest queue was not for lebkuchen (gingerbread biscuits baked for Christmas) or the traditional stollen fruit bread, but for a new kid on the block: Dubai chocolate. That was my first encounter with the viral chocolate in a land far from its birthplace. But by then, Dubai chocolate had already become a global sensation: a rich, sticky and unapologetically extra chocolate bar that had shattered industry records, won millions of hearts and was spreading like wildfire across the world. A decadent milk chocolate bar filled with silky pistachio cream, earthy tahini and crunchy shards of knafeh pastry, the original Dubai chocolate was launched by Dubai-based FIX Dessert Chocolatier in 2022 when its British Egyptian founder, Sarah Hamouda, had an urge to create something unique to satisfy her pregnancy cravings for knafeh and pistachio. FIX called their creation "Can't Get Knafeh Of It". Can't Get Knafeh Of It took the world by storm when TikTok influencer Maria Vehera posted a rapturous video of herself trying the chocolate bar inside her car in December 2023. The video quickly went viral, attracting more than 125 million views and scores of fans around the world who were willing to do anything to grab a bite. The bar became a craze and was promptly christened "Dubai chocolate". In an interview with the BBC earlier this year, Yezen Alani, co-founder of FIX, described the international spotlight as "flattering and humbling". However, despite FIX's plans for global expansion, its Can't Get Knafeh Of It bar remains solely available in the UAE, pushing independent chocolatiers and multinational brands such as Lindt and Ülker to mimic the original and produce their own versions to meet global demand. These imitations, also known as "Dubai chocolate", have inundated supermarkets and neighbourhood bodegas all over the world. Today, Dubai chocolate can be found everywhere, from the online shelves of UAE's food delivery apps and the brimming counters of Istanbul's sweet shops to the packed aisles of London's Lidl stores and the chaotic alleyways of Mumbai's flea markets. Global demand continues to skyrocket, resulting in worldwide stockouts and an international pistachio shortage. It has spawned waitlists at chocolate counters across Europe and the United States and inspired limited-edition collaborations with major brands like Shake Shack and Starbucks. Supermarkets have begun rationing Dubai chocolate, and people have been caught smuggling the prized bars. In short, the Dubai chocolate craze has shaken the global chocolate industry. This has opened up a whole new market for artisan confectioners worldwide, including the renowned Maison Samadi in London. Maison Samadi, one of the UK's oldest chocolatiers with roots in Lebanon, was the first to introduce their version of the viral Dubai chocolate bars, named "Dubai Viral Style Chocolate" in London. For Nabil Chehab, business development director at Maison Samadi, making Dubai Viral Style Chocolate was a natural segue in their chocolate-making journey. "We were already working on our heritage collection when we discovered the viral Dubai chocolate. It fitted perfectly because it combined a beloved Middle Eastern dessert, the knafeh, which was a tribute to the Samadi family heritage, with chocolate, our core expertise," says Chehab. Chehab tells me that the demand for their Dubai Viral Style Chocolate bars has far exceeded their expectations, likely due to the interesting concept behind it. "It's remarkable how the FIX team came up with this innovative idea of having a 'dessert in a chocolate bar' that has now become more enjoyable and satisfying than just a regular chocolate bar," enthuses Chehab. For centuries, food lovers have relished knafeh on its own. Now, Dubai chocolate allows them to sample this well-known dessert inside a chocolate shell, making the experience even more intriguing and exciting. "The real success of Dubai chocolate stems from its texture," agrees leading Turkish food writer Aylin Öney Tan. "The velvety gooeyness of the pistachio cream doesn't just feel good on your palate; it is also visually attractive. Additionally, the crunchy texture of the kadayif pastry from the knafeh makes the dessert even more irresistible." "Chocolates with a palpable crunch, such as Swiss Toblerone and Ferrero Rocher, have always done well in the market," explains Öney Tan. "Same with Dubai chocolate. Only in this case, the crunch goes an extra mile and primes the chocolate bar for social media platforms like TikTok and Instagram." As Vehera bites into the paint-splattered chocolate bar in her TikTok video, decadent pistachio cream oozes out and crunchy ASMR (autonomous sensory meridian response) sounds fill the foreground, making it a clear social media winner. However, "although Dubai chocolate's instant growth has been fuelled largely by social media, the exclusivity of the original bar has kept the interest going," says Monique Naval, senior research analyst at Euromonitor International. The original Can't Get Knafeh Of It bar is only available online at 14:00 and 17:00 through online food delivery app Deliveroo in the UAE. FIX produces around 500 bars every day, and they sell out fast. The limited availability, both temporal and geographical, creates a fear of missing out, further increasing interest and demand. "Having Dubai in the name also adds to the chocolate's popularity and hype," says Naval. When people think of Dubai, they think of lavish hotels, glitzy malls, luxurious cars and gold-dusted desserts. Similar "feelings of indulgence drive the success of Dubai chocolate," she adds. Beyond its viral fame, Dubai chocolate's resonance also lies in its deep Middle Eastern roots – tapping into family traditions of sharing sweets, gifting edible treats and the nostalgic flavours of knafeh and pistachios woven into daily life across the region. For Chehab, the connection runs deep. "When my wife's great-grandfather, Muhieddine Samadi, started Al Samadi Sweets in Beirut in 1872, knafeh was one of the first sweets he ever sold," he reminisces. "I grew up in Beirut. As a kid, I remember taking the famous Lebanese shared taxi to Al Samadi Sweets daily, picking up a plate of knafeh for breakfast and eating it on my way to my father's shop. Little did I know [at that time] that I would be marrying Samadi's lovely great-granddaughter," he adds, with a twinkle in his eyes. In an interview with Arabian Business last year, Hamouda said, "I wanted the FIX experience to be different. I wanted people, from that first bite, to relive moments of their past." And for many fans around the world, that first bite delivers exactly what Hamouda intended: an edible journey back to bustling Middle Eastern souks, where merchants sell delicious local sweets and the air is dense with the aroma of pistachios. More like this: • The baffling purple honey found only in North Carolina • The world's true cradle of chocolate • A beauty mogul's guide to luxury self-care in Dubai "Sixty-eight percent of the world's consumers want to experience cultures other than their own and that includes a willingness and desire to try new flavours and ingredients," explains Naval. Pistachios – a Middle Eastern staple – are riding this wave too, billed as the next big seasonal flavour globally, and appearing in everything from lattes to liqueurs. At the same time, Middle Eastern tourism is booming and Dubai has emerged as a culinary destination in its own right, with some visitors flying in just to taste the viral chocolate firsthand. What began as a simple chocolate bar in a Dubai dessert shop has evolved into a global sensation. "I am not surprised," says Chehab, reflecting on the chocolate's meteoric rise. "It is the perfect amalgamation of taste, texture, indulgence and nostalgia. It was born to be a champion." -- For more Travel stories from the BBC, follow us on Facebook, X and Instagram.
India Today
03-05-2025
- Lifestyle
- India Today
Bad news for the Matcha girlies! Tiktok is making Matcha extinct!
One minute it's a harmless trend, the next—it's a global shortage. The latest victims of social media's insatiable appetite? Pistachios and matcha. Once quiet, niche pleasures, they've become viral obsessions—now crumbling under the weight of their own fame. Take the now-infamous Dubai chocolate bar. A luxurious blend of pistachio cream, kataifi crunch, tahini, and milk chocolate, it was first crafted in 2021 by FIX Dessert Chocolatier and cheekily dubbed Can't Get Knafeh Of It. Back then, it was just a 15 treat for sweet-toothed connoisseurs. But by late 2023, social media did what it does best: turned a decadent dessert into a must-have few viral videos, a cascade of imitations, and suddenly? Supermarkets rationed pistachio bars like wartime essentials. What followed was a full-blown *pistachio panic*.Already grappling with poor U.S. harvests and strained exports from Iran, pistachio supply chains simply buckled. Prices skyrocketed—from 7.95 to 10.30 per pound in a year. The humble nut, once relegated to baklava or the occasional gelato, now pops up in truffles, pastries, and Easter eggs across the frenzy has left producers breathless—and shelves barren. All thanks to a chocolate bar and a wait, there's more. Enter: matcha finely ground green tea powder with centuries of ritual behind it—has become a darling of the wellness world. It's photogenic, antioxidant-packed, and slots perfectly into any lifestyle post. Lattes, ice creams, smoothie bowls—you name it, matcha's in it. And on has tripled since 2010, yet demand continues to outpace supply. Uji, the traditional heartland of matcha in Japan, now finds itself under siege from global thirst and influencer hype. More than half of all matcha is now exported—and the pressure is risk? Quantity trumping quality. Experts fear the gap will be filled by inferior Chinese knockoffs, risking not just taste but the centuries-old craft and culture behind real been here before. Remember the avocado craze of 2015? It won the brunch wars, took over Instagram feeds, and pushed prices so high that avocado theft became a genuine problem in New script, new media turns a delicacy into a sensation. Demand spikes. Supply falters. Prices soar. Tradition and sustainability pay the while it's tempting to blame influencers, the real culprit is the machinery behind them—the platforms engineered to amplify every craving without palates are ruled by the algorithm. But our supply chains? They're still operating in next time a pistachio-stuffed chocolate bar goes viral, or your feed floods with forest-green swirls, remember: trends come with a may taste sweet. But the aftertaste? Bitter. Trending Reel
Daily Mirror
24-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mirror
'I tried M&S £8.50 pistachio chocolate bar - the luxe twist surprised me'
As the whole world raves about the viral Dubai chocolate - a pistachio-filled thick chocolate bar, Marks and Spencer has concoted their own version. With lots of different dupes of the Dubai chocolate bar around, M&S decided to take it up a level with their own version and named it the "Big Daddy 2.0". With Dubai chocolate being the number one trending hashtag for food and drink in the UK on TikTok, and pistachio having a moment online, with an 80% search increase, it's no surprise M&S have made their own bar. The original Big Daddy from M&S was a peanut-filled chocolate bar, but now the 2.0 is a revamped version, stuffed with pistachio creme and pistachio pieces. M&S shoppers 'queue outside stores' for £8.50 Dubai-style chocolate The original Dubai Chocolate Bar is actually called Can't Get Knafeh Of It. This was created by Fix Dessert Chocolatier based in Dubai, UAE. Popularised on TikTok, this sweet treat is a blend of milk chocolate filled with a pistachio cream and crispy kataifi (a shredded phyllo pastry) filling. It is said to be inspired by the Middle Eastern dessert knafeh, a traditional Arab dessert. The trend has led to a huge demand as recreations take shape outside of the UAE. Some have been spotted on shop shelves, including an option from Lindt, and choices in B&M, Home Bargains, Lidl, Aldi and Morrisons. People have even tried making their own homemade versions with the core ingredients. I am a huge pistachio lover, so I just knew I needed to get my hands on M&S brand new bar as soon as possible. With M&S's thick, signature creamy milk chocolate and gooey sweet and salty caramel, it was already a delight. But add a light and crunchy, subtly sweet biscuit crumb and the ultimate chunky, nutty pistachio layer - made with real roasted pistachios, pistachio crème and white chocolate - what's not to love? As soon as I opened the box - yes it comes in a box instead of a wrapper - I was amazed at how big it truly was. It's called the Big Daddy for a reason. It was thick and extremely dense, and for £8.50 a bar, it's exactly what you'd expect. I broke the bar in half and immediately, the caramel oozed out alongside some crumbles of pistachio, and I knew I was in for a real treat. Not knowing what to expect, the nutty taste of the pistachio was the first hit, along with the caramel and milk chocolate. It almost had a nougat taste to it, but I think that was from the chunks of pistachio as well as a touch of saltiness, which really complimented the sweet. The big chunks of pistachio gave the chocolate a nice texture as it wasn't all smooth. I was very surprised the pistachio wasn't over powering, and it's incredibly moreish, however you definitely can't eat a lot of it as it can get quite sickly quickly. My only gripe is that it's £8.50 a bar, which is pretty pricey for a chocolate bar and I don't think it's something you can just buy on a whim. It's also very dense and very sweet which could be off putting to some, but for me and my real sweet tooth it was absolutely perfect, and I can tell I am going to be buying a fair few more of these soon as I simply can't stop eating it.
