07-07-2025
World Chocolate Day: Chocolate bars from around the world you can sample in Dubai
Today marks World Chocolate Day. It's a sweet excuse to treat yourself to your favourite chocolate (not that you need one), but if you're trying to be really on-theme, Dubai has an amazing selection of some iconic international chocolate bars that you can sample to honour this day, and this one little, wholesome, sugar-laden thing that unites us all, from every corner of Planet Earth, into universal craving. Milka from Switzerland/Germany
This Swiss chocolate bar is one of the most iconic, and popular for being highly resistant to not being polished off instantly. Started off in Switzerland, now being produced in Germany, you'll be able to spot that tell-tale purple packaging from a mile away on most supermarket shelves. They also make some insane flavours like XXL choco and biscuit, raspberries and cream, Oreo, Chips Ahoy, cherry cream, marzipan, toffee and whole hazelnuts, and the list goes on.
Retails across Dubai markets starting from Dhs5.95 5 Star from India
This is an Indian childhood classic so all the desi folks out there will recognise. Created by Cadbury, 5 Star comes as one solid bite of thick, chewy, sweet nougat topped with a layer of caramel and the whole thing encased in milk chocolate. The bar was first launched in India in 1969, and is now also available in fruit and nut, crunchy and chomp flavours. You won't miss the packaging – bright, golden, shiny, and definitely a stand-out on the shelves. If you want to complete the Indian snack experience, this is a must.
Retails across all Adil stores in Dubai for Dhs2.50 Chuckles from South Africa
Think Maltesers, but different. Chuckles by the South African Woolworth's brand is one of those bite-sized treats you can just keep popping in until you realise you've finished the entire bag. Malted, biscuity puffs covered in milk chocolate, sold the bag – what's not to like? They also come in a variety of flavours – milk, toffee, peanut, raisins, coconut ice, shortcake (uh, what?) and more. While Maltesers have captured the many hearts, if you grew up eating these, it'll be nice throwback for you.
Retails at Hyperama for Dhs58.70 Daim from Sweden
Created in Sweden in the 1950s, the Daim bar is a decidedly Swedish thing, a chocolate bar made from crunchy almond caramel covered in milk chocolate. This humble bar of chocolate has taken on many flavour profiles over the years, with limited edition cappuccino, forest fruit, Coke, white chocolate, dark chocolate, blueberry, lemon-orange, mint Daim, orange chocolate, caramel latte and strawberry variants available around the world. It's possible you may only get the basic variety here, but it's still something different.
Retails at Carrefour for Dhs9.29, also available across other markets Pocky from Japan
Pocky was first sold in Japan in 1966, created by a man named Yoshiaki Koma. It's a foolproof formula, really. Think crunchy biscuit sticks coated in chocolate, the perfect on-the-go snack, and the name comes from the sound of the biscuit being cracked as you bite into it. The original chocolate-coated Pocky was followed by an almond-coated variant in 1971, and a strawberry coating in 1977, and now has matcha (green tea), banana, cookies and cream, and coconut, along with some limited edition ones.
Retails at 1004 Gourmet for Dhs14, also available across other Asian markets Ritter Sport from Germany
Ritter Sport was founded in 1912 by Alfred and Clara Ritter – the signature square-shaped chocolate bar designed to fit easily into a sports jacket pocket without breaking. Today, they have a load of flavours to choose from, including milk, dark, and white chocolate, with fillings like nuts, biscuits, and fruit. The brand remains family-owned and continues to be one of Germany's most recognisable and popular chocolate manufacturers. You can consider this premium chocolate, made with 100% certified sustainable cocoa.
Retails in Carrefour for Dhs12.99, also available across most other markets Lion from the UK
First launched in the UK in 1976, Lion is a British childhood classic. A combination of crispy wafer, chewy caramel, and crunchy cereal, all coated in milk chocolate – this is still the go-to choice for many who have grown up in the UK. The bar has seen various limited editions and spin-offs over the years, including peanut and white chocolate versions. To this day, Lion bars are manufactured in Nestlé's factory in York, continuing the brand's British confectionery heritage.
Retails in Carrefour at Dhs4.49, also available across other markets
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