A chocolate from Dubai, filled with pistachio cream and crisp shredded pastry, has quickly gone viral in Spain. Often referred to as “Dubai chocolate,” it drew widespread attention after television presenter Tania Llasera shared her enthusiastic reaction on Instagram and TikTok. Llasera, known for her roles in shows such as La Voz and D Corazón, praised its texture and intense pistachio flavor, helping introduce the confection to a wider Spanish audience.
The bar behind the trend comes from FIX Dessert Chocolatier, founded in Dubai, and is formally named “Can’t Get Knafeh of It.” Its development is credited to FIX co-founder Sarah Hamouda and Filipino chef Nouel Catis Omamalin. The recipe layers a chocolate shell with pistachio cream and tahini, then adds crisp strands of Kadayif pastry, also called kataifi or knafeh. That contrast between smooth filling and crunchy pastry sets it apart from a conventional filled chocolate bar.
The product began as a niche, delivery-led offering in the United Arab Emirates before its popularity surged after food creator Maria Vehera posted a tasting video in late 2023. The video drew more than 140 million views in some accounts, while other reporting put a version of it above 150 million. Redseer partner Sandeep Ganediwalla described demand jumping from roughly six or seven orders a day to about 500. The business also grew from one employee to a staff of 50, while orders increased around 70-fold. “For a small business, the hardest part used to be getting found,” Ganediwalla said in Redseer’s commentary on how social media can change a small company’s reach.
As demand grew, Spanish bakeries and supermarkets began selling bars inspired by the pistachio-and-knafeh combination. In Zaragoza, the Syrian bakery El Damasquino at San Vicente Mártir 26 offers a version that customers who have tried both describe as close to the original. Carrefour and Mercadona have also introduced similar products, taking the trend beyond specialist shops. “Dubai chocolate” now describes a broader style of confectionery, not necessarily a bar made by FIX.
The original FIX product was initially concentrated in the UAE, and limited availability elsewhere helped create demand for local versions and imitations. The same copycat cycle took hold in Dubai, where cafés and chocolatiers developed their own takes on the bar. Its appeal comes from the interplay of textures and its association with knafeh, a dessert tradition reflected in the pastry’s different spellings and names.
Interest in new sweets is not new to Spain’s culinary field. The country has a tradition of embracing distinctive flavors and techniques, shaped by renowned chefs and the evolution of regional gastronomy. The influence of culinary pioneers is reflected in stories such as the passing of Paco Ron, a basic figure in modern Asturian cuisine, whose legacy continues to shape contemporary tastes. The rise of Dubai-style chocolate fits this pattern: an international food trend adapted and sold by local businesses and mainstream retailers.
FIX’s “Can’t Get Knafeh of It” and the many bars inspired by it are related, but they are not interchangeable. The FIX bar is the original, while “Dubai chocolate” has become a broad consumer label. The trend’s spread from a delivery-led Dubai business to imitations and retail offerings abroad shows how online attention can quickly turn a distinctive dessert into a global product category. In Spain, the pistachio-filled bar’s continued presence in bakeries and supermarkets reflects an appetite for new gastronomic experiences.
