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Pistachio kunafa has become a signature dessert in Dubai, a trend that took off earlier this year when the Emirati brand FIX Dessert Chocolatier introduced the flavour that became a social media sensation.
Since then, several brands have jumped on the bandwagon, experimenting with creative recipes. The pistachio kunafa flavour has found its way into crepes, cookies, brownies, sundaes, and boba tea. One restaurant has even introduced a pistachio kunafa-flavoured version of the popular Indian street food, pani puri.
“The pistachio kunafa flavour is the most viral thing in the world right now,” said Jugal Parekh, managing partner at Yummy Dosa, which introduced the flavour in a dosa at their Abu Dhabi branch. “We thought it would make for an exciting dessert fusion, and the response has been fantastic. Customers are eager to try new dishes, and pistachio kunafa is the talk of the town.”
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Nouel Catis, the chef who helped develop the original pistachio kunafa flavour for FIX three years ago, expressed his excitement at the flavour's success. “I’m thrilled that what I created has inspired so many others,” he said. “The key is to maintain authenticity and originality. Are people simply cashing in on the trend, or are they offering something genuinely innovative?”
The Filipino chef, who has been living in the UAE for over 15 years, said that he has been experimenting with creating unique Emirati flavours for several years. “I noticed a niche, and saw an opportunity to fuse flavours from Asian, Arabic, and French cuisines —something no one else was doing,” he explained.
“I knew the nuances of each culture and I know the people in this region love their traditional flavours like kunafa, Aseda, and Umm Ali, but they also crave a twist. For sweets, they prefer milk chocolate with a crunch element," he added. He also shared that it took him about three months to perfect the the pistachio kunafa flavour, but it "took three years for it to go viral".
He believes the flavour became popular for several reasons. “This bar represents the UAE on a global platform, blending chocolate with the nostalgic tastes of pistachio and kunafa. The crunchiness of the bar adds an ASMR-like effect, which further captured people’s attention.”
He also noted the aspirational quality of the product. “A lot of people around the world dream of coming to Dubai,” he said. “So the chocolate became like having a piece of Dubai at home.”
Chef Nouel is now preparing to launch his own chocolate brand, Snaap, featuring a range of flavours, including his signature pistachio kunafa.
The popularity of the pistachio kunafa flavour has encouraged others to experiment with bold new creations. Ashwin Nayanar, who founded the chocolate brand Vocca with his brother Vineeth Nair, developed Pistachio Oman chips, drawing inspiration from his own upbringing in the UAE.
“Oman chips is a nostalgic flavour for many who grew up here,” he said. “We wanted to capture that essence by combining the salty flavour of the chips with the sweetness of pistachio and chocolate. It has a crunch element and it is doing very well on the market.”
Ashwin, who has also introduced flavours like Karak Chai chocolate, Lotus Kunafa, and Coconut Kunafa, said the viral trend has been great for business. “We’re seeing strong four-figure sales, and our chocolate bars sell out quickly on platforms like Noon.”
However, despite these exciting times in the business, the industry is facing a challenge with a global cocoa shortage. “Cocoa prices have skyrocketed, with one tonne now costing around Dh35,000 due to a disease that hit crops and people in Ivory Coast," Ashwin explained. “While we’ve had to pass a small portion onto customers, we have absorbed most of the cost. We are trying to fight through it and are hoping that things will balance out by next year.”
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