In the next Texas state fair, the clothing Stephen El Gidi will offer its own dessert inspired by the Dubai chocolate: a base of rich Belgian chocolate and a pistachio extended in layers such as a sweet cheese cake in a cup.
It is definitely a deviation from typical corn and cotton dogs.
From the West Coast to Central America, the creators of desserts at state fairs are selling their own clothing based on Dubai chocolate, a milk chocolate peel full of creamy pistachio, Tahini and crunchy kataifi, a mass of the Middle East.
The offers are inspired by the original Dubai Chocolate, a bar created in 2021 by Sarah Hamouda, founder of Fix Desert Chocolatier, an online confectionery store in Dubai.
The bar quickly went viral, with influencers promoting its sticky and crunchy goodness and Hamouding saying that it was selling 100 bars per minute. Now, desserts inspired by Dubai chocolate have hit the masses and are appearing in a handful of state fairs for the first time this year.
The Minnesota State Fair will offer a Cup of Dubai chocolate strawberry at the end of August. Wisconsin has just presented its version of the Dubai chocolate bar. And the Orange County Fair in South California debuted a Dubai chocolate brownie last month. In May, the Los Angeles County Fair also sold a cup of Dubai chocolate strawberry.
The Gidi, owner of Llovizns cheese cakes based in a suburb of Dallas, is originally from Libya and moved to the United States in 2021 with the hope of becoming the owner of a business. He said his goal is to sell between 15,000 and 20,000 cups this year at the state fair.
“I became an entrepreneur due to my father, who is also the owner of a business. He inspired me to be my own boss,” the Gidi told NBC News.
Stores such as Trader Joe’s, Costco and even masks of shopping centers have presented their own versions of chocolate bars at prices of around $ 3.99 onwards. There is even a Dubai chocolate pistachio milkshake in some Shake Shack locations with frozen pistachio custard with kataifi and a black chocolate shell for $ 11.04.
Currently, people in Dubai can order Hamouda’s bar, which she calls “cannot get a delivery”, from her online store or through a delivery service. It costs a little more than $ 18 per bar. In addition, chocolate fans can find the bar at the Dubai International International Airport Free store at Terminal 3.
In May, products sales in the Dubai Duty Free confectionery category reached $ 20.2 million, 81% 81% more than thanks in part to Dubai Chocolate, according to a company’s press release.
The versions of Dubai Chocolate People are buying in the United States are more a replication of the flavor profile than the real, says Kristie Hang, a food journalist based in the San Gabriel Valley in South of California.
These products are more friendly for the wallet, they are sold for around $ 15 in groceries, and are made with standard ingredients such as milk chocolate, strawberries and nut butchers.
Dubai’s real chocolate, says Hang, is an artisanal dessert that is made in small lots.
“The pistachios are imported from Türkiye and chocolate is special chocolate with edible gold,” he said.
There is an element of luxury and crafts for the authentic chocolate of Dubai, aggregate, pointing out that a strawberry manufacture of Dubai chocolate -covered only would have the finest, perfectly formed strawberries, fell in Belgian or black chocolate of high quality, combined with kataifi bits and finely terrestrial pistol piston cream.
“It is definitely a massive fashion at this time, but it is very far from what was intended for the original Dubai chocolate, which was an exclusive luxury article. Now, it is marketed as something very generic that anyone can get,” Hang said.
Texas headquarters with headquarters, Zain Mohammed, said he is not a fan of Dubai’s chocolate trend. Mohammed, who was born in Chicago, raised in Saudi Arabia and now reviews restaurants in Houston, said he believes that the proliferation of dessert is overlooking the culture and the important role that food plays in the family.
“There is more in Dubai than only Dubai’s chocolate. I grew up in Saudi Arabia, and Arab culture is very oriented to the Arab and Arab hospitality is very unique.”
He said he is also concerned about people who benefit from the trend without appreciating culture. “I think there is cultural appropriation due to the fact that so many people are doing it: they are clinging to the trend and then announcing it as their own.”
Bianca Tamondong, a university student who tested the dessert of Dubai Brownie of the mother’s Bakeshoppe stand at the OC fair, said he thought he was a winning combo. “I have tried many other Dubai chocolate desserts before, such as the Royal Chocolate Bar, the ice cream variations and the Dubai chocolate covered strawberries. Ten dollars seemed honestly a robbery since many other Dubai chocolate desserts cost $ 15”.
“The pistachos balanced the sweetness of the Brownie perfectly,” he said.
Connoisseur Dominic Palmieri preparation sells a Dubai chocolate strawberry cup at the OC fair.
“It has all the components of Dubai chocolate. However, we are placing chocolate on the strawberries, and has a silky chocolate that does not harden,” Palmieri said.
He took more than three months to obtain enough pistachio cream for the fairs in which he participates due to a pistachio scarcity and a high demand for pistachio cream. It projects that they obtain around 2,000 gallons of pistachio cream and more than 10,000 pounds of raw chocolate this year.
It was rare for anyone to find Dubai chocolate in 2024. “You had to find it in specialized chocolate stores, sweet stores or different places that were doing dessert,” says Palmieri.
Now, it is everywhere, he says.
“When you go to the fair, you will go looking for your corn dog, the turkey leg, the funnel cake, and you will get your Dubai chocolate strawberry cup. This is quickly becoming a favorite of fans,” Palmieri said.
