Viral trends on social media are nothing new, but the ongoing global craze of Dubai Chocolate has perhaps had more lasting impact than many — leading chocolate manufacturers to launch their own versions, directly triggering huge price hikes in the pistachio market, and causing concerns among members of the allergy community.
It was created in 2021 by Sarah Hamouda, co-founder of the Emirati Fix Dessert Chocolatier, who was inspired by her pregnancy cravings for Middle Eastern desserts.
Although adaptations have since abounded, the signature ingredient is pistachio cream. In the original, it is blended with shredded filo pastry and tahini, then wrapped in milk chocolate.
Allergens? Wheat, nuts, milk and sesame — and perhaps others, quite probably soya and other nuts too.
The product has since spawned imitations and variations — with international chocolate companies getting in on the act, and spin-off products such as confectionary, milkshakes and cakes being marketed, such as this cake by Patisserie Valerie.
Imported products have started to flood markets, and those from the Middle East especially may not be adequately labelled to western allergen standards.
Depressingly, there have already been product recalls in the UK, due to undeclared additional nuts, and in the US, Costco had to issue a recall for a Dubai style chocolate product due to undeclared wheat.
Pistachio is not one of the commonest tree nut allergens, and cross-reactions with cashews are possible. Given the increase in demand for pistachios since the craze started, the characteristically green nuts have become particularly expensive, fuelling concerns that inauthentic versions — made with green dye and other allergens such as peanut — could eventually make it onto the market.
To play it safe, it would seem prudent to stick to familiar brands who have jumped on the bandwagon, such as Lindt, for example — provided of course, the products don’t contain your particular allergens.
While the vast array of products available through sites such as UK Amazon and indeed a colourful selection via Etsy may be tempting, depending on your allergies, sticking to EU or US manufactured products may be best.
In the UK, The Food Standards Agency has already warned consumers not to buy through TikTok where some sellers have been found to be not declaring allergens, as is legally required.
Curiously, the selection of Dubai Chocolate on Amazon US seems far more modest than that in Great Britain, possibly indicating that the Americans are already a little more wary from an allergy perspective …