Latest news with #Knafeh
The Independent
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- The Independent
Tesco is selling another viral Dubai-style chocolate bar, and it's currently on offer
We have no doubt that you've heard about the viral chocolate craze that's all over our social media feeds – Dubai chocolate. The original bars combine the indulgent flavours of chocolate, pistachio and tahini with filo pastry, taking inspiration from the Middle Eastern dessert, knafeh. Knafeh is a dessert made with spun pastry dough layered with cheese. It's then soaked in a sweet, sugary syrup and finished with crushed pistachios. Fix Chocolatier in the UAE combined these flavours into their popular chocolate bar, 'can't get knafeh of it'. Although the Dubai-based chocolatiers have been in business since 2021, the chocolate has gone viral this year. Dubai chocolate has racked up more than 120 million views on TikTok, and it's so popular that the £15 bars of chocolate are only available for a few hours each day. Following its popularity, we've seen Waitrose limit customer purchases on Dubai-style chocolate, Aldi sell out of a pistachio crème, and even international nut shortages. M&S has had to restock its viral big daddy pistachio bar week after week as the whopping block of chocolate continues to fly off the shelves. Although fans of Fix Chocolatier's Dubai chocolate would say that nothing measures up to the original, many well-known chocolate brands are getting in on the action, creating sell-out bars that offer pistachio lovers a more accessible taste of the goods – well, if you can get your hands on them. Godiva is the latest brand to release a crispy, creamy and nutty bar to shelves. This is everything you need to know. Godiva's pistachio and kadayif milk chocolate bar weighs 122g and brings together smooth and velvety milk chocolate with the delicate crunch of kadayif, a type of shredded filo dough used in Middle Eastern and Balkan desserts. While not exactly the same as knafeh, used in the original bars, the only difference is that kadayif is the type of shredded dough itself, rather than knafeh, which is the dessert that uses kadayif as its base. As you bite into the creamy chocolate, you'll experience rich, nutty flavours, with a blend of sweet and aromatic notes, and plenty of crispy texture. The bar sells for £10, but right now, with a Tesco Clubcard, you can get a taste of Dubai's much-loved chocolate treat for £7.95. Be quick, though – we don't expect the bars to hang around for long.
The Independent
12-06-2025
- Entertainment
- The Independent
Supermarket launches 24-layer ‘Matilda' chocolate cake inspired by Bruce Bogtrotter
One of the biggest food trends of late has been the Dubai chocolate bar, which pays homage to the traditional Knafeh dessert. But we've spotted another craze within the foodie scene: childhood nostalgia. Case in point: Tesco is now selling a new 'Matilda' chocolate cake inspired by the classic Nineties movie. Yes, that scene of Bruce Bogtrotter devouring a gigantic cake at the cruel bidding of Miss Trunchbull. It's a scene that has lived rent-free in many of our minds ever since – and now, you've got a chance to recreate it for yourself. The sweet treat comes from Lancashire-based family-owned Studio Bakery. With 12 layers of chocolate sponge and 12 layers of chocolate ganache, it nods to the 24-layered cake in the movie. Though still a chunky slab, it's smaller in size and serves 10 people. It's gone viral on TikTok with some praising its taste but others criticising its high price. You'll have to see for yourself whether it's worth the splurge. Here's everything you need to know about the cake stocked at Tesco. The chocolate cake is the brainchild of a Lancashire family-run bakery Studio Bakery, which is much-loved for its innovative takes on sweet goods. It's been so popular that it's sold out on the bakery's website, so you'll want to act fast if you want to try it. The 12 layers of sponge are made using dark chocolate and are sandwiched between layers of chocolate ganache – and it sounds like the afternoon sweet treat. It serves 10, but we're not to judge if you indulge like Bruce Bogtrotter.
Yahoo
12-06-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Watchdog warns allergy sufferers about Dubai chocolate
The UK food watchdog has warned people with allergies not to buy imported Dubai chocolate if they have any doubts about ingredients because of different labelling standards. The Food Standards Agency's chief scientific advisor said shoppers should stick to "trusted" retailers in the UK as the products they sell are more likely to be made for the domestic market. Dubai chocolate has become hugely popular fuelled by so-called "influencers" on TikTok, leading UK supermarkets such as Waitrose and Lidl to impose per person limits to meet demand. But a recent investigation by the BBC found several TikTok Shop users selling food without listing allergen information. UK businesses are legally required to declare if a product they sell contains one of the 14 regulated allergens - including nuts and milk. The FSA found some imported Dubai-style chocolate products may not have been intended for sale in the UK and therefore lack a full ingredients list or allergen labelling that are legally required. Professor Robin May, the FSA's chief chief scientific advisor, said: "Some imported Dubai-style chocolate products don't meet our standards and could be a food safety risk, especially for consumers with allergies." He added: "As it's difficult for consumers to tell the difference between products made for the UK and those that aren't, if you have a food allergy or intolerance, we advise that you do not buy the product unless you're certain it's intended for sale here." By law, products made to UK standards must have labels that have the ingredients written in English, the name of the food, a best before or use by date, and the name and address of a UK or European Union (EU) business that is responsible for information on the product. If the food is not from the EU or UK then an importer must be listed. The FSA said it had worked with local authorities to identify a number of Dubai chocolate products that posed a health risk to consumers with allergies. It said some of these products may also contain additives and colours which aren't allowed to be sold in the UK. The popular treat combines the flavours of chocolate, pistachio and tahini with filo pastry, and is inspired by the Arab dessert Knafeh. The regulator is now sampling products to work out the scale of the problem. It said shoppers should report any concerns to their local authority and is working with allergy charities to raise awareness. TikTok Shop food listings 'putting people at risk' From Dubai to Lidl: How one woman's pregnancy craving launched a craze
RTÉ News
30-05-2025
- Business
- RTÉ News
How a Mullingar sweet shop has embraced viral food trends
When David Quirke opened Sugarplum Sweetery in Co Westmeath just three years ago alongside his wife, Denise, it was partly driven by a desire to balance their healthy restaurant Wholesome, which they'd opened three years prior, with something more "naughty". Creating one of the most viral and coveted sweet treats to hit the Irish food market in years was probably not on their five-year plan. Sugarplum Sweetery, a multicoloured and eye-catching shop in Mullingar, had been drawing sweet fanatics with its selection of gummies and chocolates since it opened, but it wasn't until they launched their take on the viral Dubai chocolate bar that business truly started to boom. "We've always been a social media-led brand", Quirke said at TikTok's 2025 Trend Forecast event in Dublin on Thursday. "Everything we do, we're obviously massively inspired by Willy Wonka, everything is nostalgia-based. When you come to our ship it's all about an experience. It's bringing back in that nostalgia." Heavily inspired by the likes of Roald Dahl, and anything that excites the imagination as well as the stomach, Quirke recalled seeing how the original Dubai chocolate bar by Fix - a thick milk chocolate bar filled with pistachio cream and crispy Knafeh pastry flakes - captured the attention of viewers across the world, before dying down again as homebakers tried their hand at copying the recipe. The couple travelled to Dubai to taste the original, spending a month tweaking their recipe at home to create a version that uses Irish butter and other "secret ingredients". Taking a new product from testing to market is an arduous process, and one made more challenging for the team due to the time of year: "When we seen that there was a massive demand for this, it came around Christmas, which is our busiest time of the year - about a third of your yearly turnover would come in December. To add on [the] Dubai [bar] and a massive viral hit, we had to hire huge amounts of staff so quickly, we had to train them up, we had to expand our kitchens, buy new equipment, and all of that took a few weeks or a few months, but we expanded as fast as we possibly could." Despite this, there was still a four-week delay for customers waiting to get their hands on the bar - something that only added to its appeal. "We thought that might be damaging to the business, that people might not want to wait as long, but it went even more nuts when people were waiting four weeks. Everyone wanted to jump into the queue to get chocolate." Now, six months after the launch, the Sugarplum team is still working 24-hour days. Far from being a one-off viral hit, Quirke believes their take on the pistachio-filled bar isn't going anywhere. "It's all down to reorders. It's something that we feel will still be our number one product in five years' time." Having tasted virality once, it's not surprising then that the team has embraced novelty and catching trends as they come: "You become addicted to that viral nature of it. Even six months on the company is very viral on TikTok and that's down to jumping on every trend that's there." Their latest launch - thick-filled chocolate bars packed with indulgent ingredients - is another response to dessert bars, which have proven popular on social media.
Indianapolis Star
29-05-2025
- Business
- Indianapolis Star
Trader Joe's sells viral Dubai chocolate bars for 5 times less than original price
Trader Joe's is now serving up its own version of the viral Dubai chocolate bar, but at a fraction of the price. The health store's "dupe," or duplicate, of the viral Dubai chocolate bar, which gained traction on social media earlier this year, is manufactured by Patis Food Group, a chocolatier based in Illinois. Though the "Pistachio Cream and Kataifi Filled Dark Chocolate Bar" is actually made in Turkey. The chocolate bar is made with 50% dark chocolate, pistachio cream and kataifi (shredded filo pastry) and sold exclusively at Trader Joe's. The chocolate bars arrived in stores the week of May 26. Trader Joe's Public Relations Manager Nakia Rohde told USA TODAY that the chocolate bars are available for a limited time, but if customers "really love this product," more will be sold. Dubai chocolate bars have been all the rage on social media this year due to their smooth chocolate, rich pistachio cream and high price point. Though the original bar is actually made by a Dubai chocolatier, countless brands have swooped in to offer their own, but cheaper versions. The 3.52-ounce Pistachio Cream and Kataifi Filled Dark Chocolate Bar is $3.99 at Trader Joe's. California content creator Tina Bekkali posted a taste test video of Trader Joe's Dubai chocolate bar to TikTok on Tuesday, May 27, and as of May 28, the video already has more than 396,000 views. "I love kunefe and pistachios, so I've been wanting to try Dubai chocolate for months since I first saw it," Bekkali told USA TODAY. "However, I don't want to pay $20+ for a chocolate bar. When I saw Trader Joe's would have one, I specifically went there that morning in hopes of finding them." Bekkali added that she would buy the Trader Joe's dupe again and is glad the grocery store chain made an otherwise expensive "sweet treat" more accessible to the masses. Sila Adhiningrat, another California content creator, also posted a TikTok video of her giving the dupe a try. As of May 28, the video had 12,200 views. Adhiningrat told USA TODAY she enjoyed the Trader Joe's dupe but probably wouldn't buy it again. "I wouldn't choose it over chocolate bars at Trader Joe's, though, and will probably stick to my other favorite chocolates," she said. To search a list of Trader Joe's locations, visit the grocery store's website at The original Dubai chocolate bar is made by FIX Dessert Chocolatier in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. A six-pack of bars costs $120 on the FIX Dessert Chocolatier website, making one bar $20. Named "Can't Get Knafeh Of It," the chocolate bar was first released in 2022 when FIX Dessert Chocolatier Founder Sarah Hamouda wished to satisfy her pregnancy cravings for knafeh (a Middle Eastern dessert made with pastry dough, sweet cheese and syrup) and pistachio, as reported by BBC. The bars first went viral in 2023, when content creator Maria Vehera posted a TikTok video of her devouring the luxury chocolate bar. As of May 28, the video boasts more than 127 million views. Countless videos of content creators munching on the viral bar (and 'dupes') have circulated the internet since. And brands are taking the opportunity to release their own versions, including Turkish food manufacturer Ulker ($15 for one bar), New York City-based The Nuts Factory ($50 for two bars) and countless homemade recipes on Etsy. Yes. FIX Dessert Chocolatier ships its products worldwide. Editor's note: This story has been updated to add a new video.
