Dubai Chocolate Maker Gears Up For Secret Flavour Reveal
FIX burst into public consciousness in 2024 with its flagship 'Can't Get Knafeh Of It' offering—a milk‑chocolate bar stuffed with pistachio cream, tahini and Kataifi pastry—that fans broke open on camera, generating global virality. Its founders, Sarah Hamouda and Yezen Alani, launched the venture in 2021 after Hamouda's confectionery cravings inspired an experimental treat combining knafeh and chocolate. The snack quickly gained popularity online, particularly via TikTok, where influencers showcased its crunchy‑creamy texture.
The Mall of the Emirates event marks the first public debut of the new flavour and further solidifies FIX's position as a trend‑setter. The company has recently expanded its presence, reopening at Dubai International Airport Terminal 3 to capture travellers seeking last‑minute indulgences. Earlier this year, the novelty of its viral bar paved the way for imitator products in global markets: Costco's frozen pistachio‑cream‑filled chocolate bar debuted in the US in April, while Knipschildt Chocolatier in Connecticut released a supersized 1.2‑pound chocolate bar based on FIX's creation.
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FIX's signature bars feature a thick milk‑chocolate shell encasing a vibrant green pistachio‑cream and kataifi filling—a combination of creamy, nutty and crunchy textures that perfectly fits the 'crackle and pull' videos dominating social media. The brand also offers niche flavours such as 'Can't Get Knafeh Of It – Midnight Edition' and playful variants like Karak Latte‑ and Pretzel‑inspired bars.
The new flavour launch arrives against a backdrop of intensifying demand for pistachio and Middle Eastern‑inspired desserts. Apart from FIX's dominance, mainstream food brands have embraced the flavour: Starbucks experimented with a Dubai Chocolate‑style drink in the US, featuring iced matcha or coffee with pistachio sauce and chocolate cream cold foam, though reviewers found it fell short of the bar's distinctive crunchy essence. Meanwhile, Costco's exclusive frozen pistachio bar from Afters Ice Cream has reportedly sold well, gaining attention from influencers and shoppers.
Knipschildt's luxury 1.2‑pound version, priced at $50, demonstrates how premium chocolatiers are tapping into the trend, emphasising high‑quality chocolate and home‑made pistachio cream to echo FIX's flavour profile. Consumer interest in Middle Eastern flavours is rising, with pistachio‑based desserts appearing in menus across Shake Shack, Dunkin', Aldi and Lidl as of this spring.
Market analysts point to a supply chain bottleneck following the surge in cocoa and pistachio prices, which paradoxically benefits FIX's formulation—it reduces reliance on expensive ingredients by incorporating kataifi and pistachio paste into chocolate bars. That cost‑management tactic, combined with viral marketing on social media, allowed FIX to ride the wave of influencer‑driven phenomenons without a large promotional budget.
Factory production has scaled up, yet FIX still limits online deliveries to Dubai and Abu Dhabi, warning customers about counterfeit products and inflated secondary‑market prices. That strategy has only fed the desirability of the original, prompting collectors and fans to visit in person or purchase through authorised Dubai channels.
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During the June 13‑15 launch, FIX's pop‑up will sit alongside other summer activations at Mall of the Emirates, a hub for both premium shopping and experiential events. The brand anticipates strong demand as foot traffic amplifies the hype around the mysterious new flavour, especially in light of its vague promotional language and scarcity strategy.
Local food‑industry commentators have described FIX's influence as a case study in the fast evolution of viral gastronomy. The emergence of Dubai Chocolate in global mainstream retail signals the capacity for hyper‑specific products—rooted in local culinary tradition—to scale globally through social media dynamics. Analysts note that imitation follows swiftly, with brands racing to replicate the texture‑first experience that initially defined FIX's bar.
Hamouda, in a March interview, revealed that demand spiked overnight: orders in 2024 jumped from sporadic to hundreds per second after the bar went viral online. That scale pressured the company to balance artisanal quality with commercial viability, prompting factory expansion and tighter quality controls to preserve the brand's visual and taste signature.
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