Why 'Time' magazine calls Dubai's viral chocolate the UAE's soft power

When the world was busy looking at Dubai for its world records, celebrity stopovers, and redirected international events, it focused on a quiet takeover. Almost like guerilla warfare, Dubai-based company Fix Dessert Chocolatier began to dish out slabs of sweetness with a combination quintessential to the Middle East and therefore, seemingly destined to work — thin crispy kunafah draped in pistachio. Then, it cloaked the crispy surprise in a cloak of chocolate. And so Dubai chocolate was born.

It debuted in 2021, and slowly began to take over taste buds and social media feeds. By late 2023-early 2024, it was dominating TikTok feeds and by the end of that year, it had already had an unaccountable number of avatars thanks to DIY home recipes and other brands. And then it began to mutate and take over things like drinks and cake.

These tendrils of fame have spread far and wide, with brands such as lindt and Galaxy crafting their own version. Meanwhile, Fix Dessert Chocolatier is also having a moment in London, with a pop-up running until November 23 this year. And American legacy brand Ghirardelli has launched bite-sized truffles echoing the same flavor.

No wonder, it’s made it to the hallowed pages of Time, which has recognised it as UAE’s soft power.

“Dubai chocolate has achieved something remarkable: it has made people around the world actively crave something associated with the UAE. The confection consists of a hollow chocolate shell, typically filled with pistachio-infused kunafa, a Middle Eastern pastry made from thin, crispy noodles. The result is a texture-driven sensation: creamy chocolate yielding to crunchy, buttery, nutty filling,” explains Bobby Ghosh in an article.

Comparing it to the effect of other food across cultures that have created headspace among international citizens and raised goodwill for the place of origin – what ramen has done for Japan or what barbecue has done for Korea– Ghosh, in the Time article, explains how Dubai chocolate has created emotional connections across age groups and cultures.

Food, he argues, is an international language and while you cannot buy it fans no matter how much money you throw at the ads, if you have a winning recipe, it can win you affection – one sweet bite at a time.