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Agence France-Presse

When Ali Fakhro lays out a row of pistachio-filled chocolate bars in the morning at his bakery in Berlin, the capital of Germany, he knows they will be gone in a matter of hours.
Inspired by the viral success of the crunchy delicacy known as “Dubai chocolate”, Fakhro, 32, hunted down a recipe and began making his own version two months ago.
“On the first day I made 20 bars, but they went fast. The next day, I made 50 – all gone too,” he said.
So-called Dubai chocolate was invented in 2021 by British-Egyptian entrepreneur Sarah Hamouda, who is based in Dubai.

The chunky treat consists of a blocky, hand-decorated chocolate bar with various quirky fillings – the signature flavour being a rich pistachio cream.
The treat went viral when TikTok food influencer Maria Vehera posted a video of herself eating a bar in her car, which has since been viewed more than 100 million times.
The real thing is only available to customers in Dubai in limited quantities, but the trend has led to an explosion of copycat versions of the chocolate around the world.
Fakhro, who runs Abu Khaled Sweets in Berlin, experimented “several times” with different recipes before finally landing on the right ingredient to give the pistachio cream its famous crunch – a finely shredded Middle Eastern pastry known as kataifi.
Germans have been scrambling to get their hands on the chocolate, with bars selling for over €100 (US$105) on the internet.

Last week, a 31-year-old man was caught by customs attempting to smuggle 45 kilograms (100 pounds) of them into Germany from Switzerland.
When Swiss manufacturer Lindt launched its own version of the Dubai chocolate in Germany this month, customers queued for hours in the cold to get their hands on a bar.
At up to €20 per bar, the delicacy is far more expensive than your average chocolate bar – but that did not seem to be putting anyone off.
“I waited 10 hours. I’ve been here since midnight just to taste this chocolate,” 18-year-old student Leon Faehnle said outside a Lindt shop in Stuttgart.
Lindt launched the chocolate in Germany with 1,000 numbered bars in 10 shops, a spokesman for the group said, and is planning a similar launch in Austria on November 30.


Dubai chocolate has also been a hit in France, with a version by chocolatier Jeremy Bockel on show at the Salon du Chocolat in Paris earlier this month.
Yannick Burkhard, 21, queued for three hours in Stuttgart to get his hands on the chocolate – but is not planning to eat any of it himself. Instead, he will sell it on the internet.
“I would never pay that much for this. It’s quick and easy money,” he said with a smile.
“This bar cost €15, but it can sell for almost €100 … there are lots of offers on eBay, up to €300,” said a customer who gave his name only as Lucas, 24.
Faehnle had a more wholesome plan for his bars as he exited the shop in Stuttgart beaming with pride at his purchase.
“Now I’m going to go home and share them with my grandparents,” he said.


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Food and Drinks

10-hour queues in Germany for viral ‘Dubai chocolate’ bars that can be resold for US$100

Pieces of Dubai chocolate with gold leaf at Abu Khaled Sweets in Berlin. Photo: AFP

Ali Fakhro behind the counter at his shop Abu Khaled Sweets in Berlin, Germany. Fakhro can’t keep up with demand for “Dubai chocolate”, viral pistachio-filled bars that can be resold online for over US$100. Photo: AFP

Pieces of “Dubai chocolate” with gold leaf at Abu Khaled Sweets in Berlin. The chocolate bar went viral on TikTok but is only available to customers in Dubai in limited quantities, prompting imitations elsewhere. Photo: AFP

Ali Fakhro experimented “several times” with different recipes before finally landing on the right ingredient to give the pistachio cream its famous crunch. Photo: AFP

Fakhro prepares “Dubai chocolate” at his shop in Berlin. Photo: AFP

Ali Fakhro applies gold leaf to a bar of “Dubai chocolate” at his Abu Khaled Sweets shop in Berlin. Photo: AFP

What is Pocky Day? How annual celebration of the Japanese chocolate-coated biscuit began

Pocky Day, a celebration of the Japanese chocolate-coated biscuits, is celebrated every year on November 11. Photo: Ezaki Glico

Jeff Goldblum eats Pocky for the first time with Rolling Stone. Photo: YouTube/Rolling Stone

Claire Saffitz attempts to make gourmet Pocky on cooking series Gourmet Makes. Photo: YouTube/Bon Appétit

The original packaging for Pocky. Photo: Ezaki Glico

A Pepero advertisement on display in Times Square, New York. Photo: courtesy of Lotte Wellfood

Making food replicas a popular activity in Japan for tourists hungry for the local culture

Japan’s lifelike food replicas are gaining popularity with tourists, who attend workshops to learn more about how they are made and how the art has evolved. Photo: Iwasaki Company

Hands-on lessons in the art of creating food replicas have caught on with foreign visitors to Japan. Photo: Iwasaki Company

A replica of rice, meat and egg yolk. Models of food items are believed to have first taken off after appearing at a branch of the now-defunct Shirokiya department store in 1923. Photo: Instagram/@iwasaki_sample

A replica of a pasta dish. Every day, a factory in Yokohama is bustling with 50 or so workers painstakingly crafting food replicas. Photo: Instagram/@iwasaki_sample

A replica of a Chinese dish. Production of food replicas has evolved, with materials used to make food samples changing from wax to synthetic resin around the 1980s. Photo: Instagram/@iwasaki_sample

Rows of food replicas at a restaurant in Japan. In response to the decreased demand from eateries, which account for the bulk of its revenue, Iwasaki has been exploring other potential markets. Photo: Iwasaki Company

Where an American in Hong Kong goes for ice cream sandwiches that remind her of home

An ice cream sandwich from The Ice Cream and Cookie Co. in Sheung Wan, Hong Kong. They give her a reminder of home, American designer Britta Butler tells the Post. Photo: Instagram/@icrecreamcookieco.hk

Britta Butler is the founder of The Liebling, a bespoke brand of luxury pet beds in Hong Kong. Photo: Britta Butler

Crispy amadai at Osteria Marzia. Photo: Osteria Marzia

Hong Kong noodle history and the different noodle styles explained

Shrimp roe thick noodle lo mien from Kwan Kee Bamboo Noodle in Hong Kong. Photo: Llewellyn Cheung

Roast goose with lai fun rice noodles from Yung Kee in Hong Kong. Learn about the different kinds of noodles served in the city, how they are traditionally made, and the foods they are typically paired with. Photo: Llewellyn Cheung

Wheat noodles originate in Northern China, while rice noodles have Southern Chinese origins, says Dr Siu Yan-ho, a lecturer in Chinese language and literature at Baptist University. 

Marco Li Ka-chi of Kwan Kee Bamboo Noodle balancing on a bamboo pole to make noodles. Photo: Llewellyn Cheung

Shrimp roe thick noodle lo mien at Kwan Kee Bamboo Noodle. Photo: Llewellyn Cheung

 Cheung Wing Kee started making noodles in the 1950s, producing small quantities using labour-intensive methods.

Roast goose with lai fun rice noodles. The thicker, neutral-tasting noodles are perfect for absorbing the flavours from the roast goose and broth. Photo: Llewellyn Cheung

Lifestyle

Food & Drink

Baker in Berlin can’t keep up with demand for the pistachio-filled bars first seen in Dubai, which buyers can resell online for US$100-plus


Baker in Berlin can’t keep up with demand for the pistachio-filled bars first seen in Dubai, which buyers can resell online for US$100-plus.


Germany

United Arab Emirates (UAE)