A Woman’s Split of Dubai Chocolate: Why is it so elusive in the UK?
The viral Dubai chocolate bar has taken the world by storm, stuffed with delicious pistachio cream and crunchy knafeh, it’s no wonder it has become a social media sensation. The sweet treat has become so popular that retailers Waitrose and Lidl have imposed a two-per-person limit on their versions of “Dubai-style” bars. But the question remains, why is it so hard to find the Dubai chocolate bar in the UK?
Living in central London, surrounded by trendy food spots, I was eager to try this elusive chocolate bar. However, to my surprise, I couldn’t find it anywhere. It made me wonder, am I too old to be in the loop of this trend? Is the price too high for my age group? Or is the UK’s fascination with the Dubai chocolate bar mostly confined to our screens?
To get some answers, I reached out to as many people as I could, and here’s what I found out.
The Dubai chocolate bar is a rare sight in the UK
After talking to numerous people, I found that most of them had seen the Dubai chocolate bar more often in Europe and of course, in Dubai itself. Jelena Skene from PressFlow shared her experience of eating the bar, but she seemed to be the only one in her circle who has tried it. She mentioned that it was a present from her mother-in-law who had to go through a lot of queues to get her hands on the bar. In the end, she had to order it on Deliveroo.
Kristin Herman, a food editor at Academized, also said that she has only one colleague in the UK who buys and eats the viral Dubai chocolate bar. However, she did notice its popularity among her colleagues in Europe, especially in Germany. She also agreed that the high price may be the reason why it’s not as mainstream in the UK yet. But she believes that people are indeed eating it, just in different circles.
One of my friends thought that the viral chocolate was from France, as that was the only place she had seen it. It seems like the Dubai chocolate bar is yet to make a mark in the UK, but maybe with brands like Lindt creating their own version, it might change.
So, why is it hard to find the Dubai chocolate bar in the UK?
One reason could simply be personal taste. Perhaps the trend caught on at different speeds in different markets. However, I believe there could be more to it. The bar itself is quite unique in its ingredients and production process. While popular snacks like Hobnobs or Twix use inexpensive ingredients and have a sturdy base, the Dubai chocolate bar has pistachios, which are labour-intensive and expensive, and knafeh, which is delicate. And let’s not forget the chocolate itself, which is currently quite pricey. It’s no wonder that Lindt’s version of the bar costs £10 for just 145g.
Another factor could be that the trend started on social media. With platforms like TikTok, we get to see viral food trends from around the world. As a regular scroller, I may have assumed that everyone in the UK knows about the Dubai chocolate bar. But that’s not the case. Some of my UK friends, who are not on the app, had to search the name online to find out what it is.
In conclusion, the Dubai chocolate bar is indeed a popular trend, but its limited availability in the UK might be due to various reasons. Only time will tell if it becomes popular enough to finally break into the cupboards of my friend group. But one thing is for sure, it’s a tasty and gourmet snack that is worth trying. So, if you come across the Dubai chocolate bar, be sure to indulge in its unique and delicious flavors. Who knows, it may become the next big thing in the UK.
