The so-called Dubai Chocolate craze has reached Europe, leaving shoppers desperate to get a taste of the treat in Germany.
They came armed with camping stools and wet weather gear, standing for hours in the drizzle outside the Lindt store in Aachen to get their hands on its version of the viral chocolate, comprising kunafa and pistachio cream encased in milk chocolate. The chocolate has also been available in Stuttgart.
They received sample squares of chocolate, before being invited into the store. Customers were only able to buy one bar each, with the treats bearing a unique number to add to the exclusivity.
“It’s a hype, a trend on social media, with people waiting in long lines,” said Zi Cheng Lai, 23, a student from Malaysia in Aachen. “We want to try it out here and be part of it.”
Dubai Chocolate, first introduced in 2021 by start-up FIX Dessert Chocolatier in the UAE, found fame after being promoted by influencers on Instagram and TikTok, with one of the earliest TikTok videos garnering more than 69 million views.
Lindt executives want to show the nearly 180-year-old Swiss chocolatier can mix it up and expand the boundaries of a centuries-old industry largely dominated by European companies.
Lindt began releasing 1,000 of the novel chocolate bars in shops in Germany on Saturday. A similar campaign is to begin on Saturday in Switzerland. But in a response to a query from The National, Lindt said it would not reveal whether it planned to offer them elsewhere.
ChocoSuisse, an industry association, is hopeful the fusion of Middle Eastern treats and traditional chocolate will make them more appealing to palates beyond Europe.
“It’s a good thing if more people start to like chocolate and regularly eat chocolate – it expands the market in places like Asia and the Middle East,” said Roger Wehrli, the director of ChocoSuisse, which counts most of the Swiss industrial chocolate makers as members.
Customers generally seemed satisfied at the Aachen shop, even after paying a relatively high price of €14.99 ($15.85) for their bar. Some said they just wanted to be part of the trend.
“It’s juicy inside but also crunchy, I think it’s the strands of the angel hair,” said student Esko Rieck, who waited for more than three hours to get inside the store. “I’m here because I’ve never been at such a release event and I wanted to experience the release of a limited edition.”
Thai student Thanapon Kunlawatwimon got hold of bar number 429. “It’s like, ‘OK, I finally got it.’ So I’m happy now.”
