Why the viral Dubai kunafa trend won’t die

It all began in Dubai when BritishEgyptian home baker Sarah Hamouda driven by a pregnancy craving crafted a bar blending creamy pistachio and crisp kataifi shredded filo pastry Her tiny almost obscure chocolatier Fix Dessert Chocolatier sold just a few bars a week Then in late 2023 TikTok influencer Maria Vehera posted an ASMRstyle video of the barrsquos dramatic crunch and oozing pistachioIt exploded online triggering over 30000 orders mdash crashing the small businessrsquos delivery system overnight Suddenly there were queues outside Fixrsquos store with customers limited to one or two bars each People began flying out of Dubai with these bars often reselling at steep markups Scarcity only fuelled demandMODrsquos Dubai Chocolate DonutSoon pastry chefs across India Europe and the US were racing to replicate the bar However Fixrsquos original bar remains the gold standard mdash if you can get your hands on it is a cultural flex Vikas Temani Business Head at Paul And Mike Fine Flavour Chocolates says the brand has been tracking the Dubai kunafa chocolate trend for a while Everyone from small chocolatier to big patisserie was making their version ldquoSome were decent others not so muchrdquo he says But it wasnrsquot until they saw Lindt embracing it across Europe that they took it seriously ldquoLindt has a knack for spotting trends early and delivering what consumers want When we saw them investing mdash ads activations infrastructure mdash we knew this deserved our attentionrdquoBy midlast year Paul And Mike began experimenting with pistachio types and pastes ldquoThe local ones lacked the flavour punch we needed for a premium barrdquo Temani says Thatrsquos when he reached out to Dinika Bhatia of Nutty Gritties who suggested Pishori pistachios mdash a deep green intensely flavoured variety from Central Asia ldquoTheyrsquore 50 per cent more expensive than American pistachios which are bred for yield not taste But once we switched the flavour was finally rightrdquoIt took three to four months of sourcing and RampD but the launch was strong ldquoSure there are always scepticsrdquo he says ldquobut most feedback has been great Several people whorsquove tried both our bar and the original from Fix say ours is better We benchmarked against Fix mdash itrsquos hard to get but we managed to source onerdquoKunafa Stack custard pistachio cake mulberries and gelato topped with crunchy kataifi and molten Manam chocolateOn what sets their bar apart Temani points to how smaller chocolatier often rely on commercially available couverture ldquoTheir pistachio paste might be good but they cut it with sesame paste or cocoa butter to stabilise the texture since pure pistachio paste is very runnyrdquo he explains ldquoBut even a small amount of those additions dilutes the flavour noticeablyrdquo Paul And Mike chose not to compromise ldquoWe worked out the supply chain to handle the challenges of using pure paste mdash thatrsquos why our bar delivers a much stronger pistachio note and a higher chocolate quality overallrdquoFix retails at Rs 1600 for 200 gm To make the bar more accessible Paul And Mike launched a smaller 90100 gm version priced at R700 That way itrsquos easier for people to try and possibly repeatEntisirsquos kunafa chocolate bar uses American pistachiosGourmet store Food Square in Santa Cruz which stocks international brands tells us they brought the kunafa chocolate to India after tracking the trend in Dubai and Europe ldquoInitially we imported small bars around 60 gm from Europe pricing them at Rs 3000 At that time no one else in India had it By JanuaryndashFebruary we managed to source Lindtrsquos Dubai Style Chocolate which sold at around R4500 for a 125 gm bar Right now we sell 60ndash70 bars per month across brands mdash six or seven mdash and the demand is still strong from retail and B2B clientsrdquo says Rugved Vartak category head Food Square Landcraft Retail ldquoItrsquos no longer just about just that flavour even in bars Wersquore now seeing a wave of derivative flavours cheesecake raspberry mango pomegranate Oreo mdash these dessertforward chocolates are trending toordquo he addsPishori pistachios brought the flavour punch Paul And Mike neededManish Khanna Chef and FounderPartner at Brownie Point India and Dubai says ldquoKunafa chocolate isnrsquot new mdash hotels and fine dining have done it for years But it went viral thanks to TikTok and Instagram Unlike most trends this one stuck because of its texture Classic desserts are creamy or moussey kunafa brings a bold crunch from filo pastry and pistachio richness That contrast is addictive Crunch taps into something primal mdash every cuisine has it from papad to puff pastry Layer that into chocolate and it becomes a sensory trigger The flavours arenrsquot new mdash pistachio and chocolate are classic mdash but the texture and timing made them explode I do have my reservations with people using vermicelli and passing it off as kataifi mdash itrsquos not the same We use California and Central Asian pistachios though I prefer California ones for its creaminess and subtlety in kunafa dessertsChef Ruby Islam Head Chef at Manam Chocolate says the trend endures because of its simplicitymdashcrunchy kataifi novel pistachio and universally loved chocolate all in a travelfriendly snackable format much like the Snickers of old mdash positioned as pocket snacks Its scarcity and Instagram appeal only heightened demand ldquoCustomers asked for it but we donrsquot replicate mdash we reinterpretrdquo she says This Ramzan instead of the usual bar Manam introduced a Kunafa Stack layered with silky housemade custard mulberries pistachio cake toasted granola and dates topped with gooey pistachio kataifi and finished with a scoop of housemade gelato pistachio vanilla Chakkarakeli banana or 67 per cent dark chocolate and a pour of molten Manam ChocolateManish Khanna believes kunafa went viral for its crunch mdash kataifi pastry and pistachio richness create an addictive contrast that classic desserts lack The texture made it trend the flavour made it stick Saloni Kukreja collaborated with Woodside Inn for a delicious take on the Dubai pista kunafaNext week Le15 adds a macaron and tart to their kunafa pistachio chocolate offerings Founder Pooja Dhingra too believes the trend has endured because of its texture ldquoItrsquos creamy crunchy chocolatey mdash a true sensory experience Unlike trends relying on visual appeal this one delivers on taste Thatrsquos why people keep returning and itrsquos gone from being a trend to almost a new dessert categoryrdquoDhingra held off until she had something that truly felt special ldquoWe waited until we could create something that stayed true to our quality standards but also captured the heart of the trendrdquo she says ldquoIt started when a close friend came back from Dubai craving it and asked us to make something inspired by itrdquo After multiple trials Le15 landed on a Kunafa Chocolate Pistachio Tart with a crisp tart shell crunchy kunafa homemade pistachio paste and dark chocolate ganache mdash a rich indulgent take on the viral dessertFor the Woodside Inn X Indu Ice Cream collab until May 11 the ice cream brandrsquos founder Saloni Kukreja has created Dubai Pista Kunafa mdash a ldquocoolrdquo take on the viral Internet sensation This one comes with decadent crisp kunafa rich pista paste choco chip pista ice cream dark chocolate drizzle and a micdrop topping of roasted pistachios and fried kunafaPooja Dhingra Manish Khanna Rugved Vartak and Vikas Temanieacutentisirsquos Kunafa Chocolate Bar blends rich textures and flavours inspired by the Middle Eastern dessert kunafa and has crisp layers golden strands of kunafa with velvety chocolate and a smooth filling made from premium American Pistachios a brand they have partnered with A 100gram bar retails around Rs 600 The global pistachio market has been facing pressure due to weatherrelated challenges and rising demandDroughts in key growing regions like California and fluctuating yields in Iran and Turkey have impacted supply At the same time pistachios have surged in popularity worldwide driven by their health benefits and viral dessert trends mdash from pistachio lattes to kunafa chocolate bars Prices have soared and premium varieties are harder to source pushing chefs and chocolatiers to get creative with procurementPistachio rates have shot up dramatically Especially for those using Pishori the impact is even more ldquoItrsquos almost 34 times the cost of regular pistachios Initially we thought this bar would give us a break from expensive cacao mdash since the filling is mostly pistachio with just a chocolate shell But now thanks to the trend therersquos even a global pistachio shortage Wersquore also trying to secure our annual supply now with Diwali and New Year demand loomingrdquo says TemaniKhanna shares he has seen the price of California pistachios increase by nearly 20 per cent over the last year and therersquos now a real shortage mdash similar to what happened with avocados morels and saffron ldquoItrsquos pistachiorsquos time in the limelight At our store wersquore not just doing kunafa chocolate mdash we have kunafa cakes cheesecakes brownies and more The obsession is at the next level in Dubai where I just returned from If we were selling 100 cakes daily now nearly 40 per cent are kunafa variants And itrsquos evolving mdash wersquove seen demand for mango pomegranate even strawberry kunafa chocolate variantsrdquoChef Anahita Dhondy says pistachio has always been rich flavourful and expensive ldquoWersquove used it sparingly because of the cost and effort involved A kilo with the shell often yields just 400ndash500 gm of usable nut so we add it only when itrsquos essentialrdquo But pistachio and chocolate she says is a timeless pairing with incredible pistachiochocolate bars and pistachio gelato in Italy where the nut is also used widely in desserts and drinksldquoYou see versions of pistachio kunafa bars in Delhirsquos pastry shops Then came the food influencers and home bakers mdash it became a full cycle of virality from boutique stores to hotel menus to home kitchens and back again In Delhi itrsquos just exploded And all this demand has only pushed pistachio prices even higherrdquoVartak says ldquoAs for pistachios the price surge hasnrsquot fully hit the retail market yet but we expect a noticeable increase by the end of May Therersquos concern about future supply shortages too Chocolate prices however have already jumped mdash premium chocolates have seen a 25ndash30 per cent hike since FebruaryrdquoIndia relies heavily on pistachio imports with local cultivation still minimal Offering pistachiobased treats as limitededition premium items appears to be the only sensible way to satisfy demandmdashlest scarcity sparks another viral trend much like the Dubai Kunafa 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