The Sad Truth about Dubai Chocolate

When I was ~11 years young, my mom signed up for a free Godiva Chocolate membership, which granted 1 free truffle per month in perpetuity. People like me were definitely the reason the program ceases to exist. I don’t think a month went by from 11-18 where I didn’t redeem my free chocolate.

Earlier in middle school I rotated between Lava Cake, Dark Chocolate, and Hazelnut, but over time I became super fixated on that Hazelnut flavor and developed very deep cravings for it. That lasted until I went to Ecuador in 2015, where I learned what a proper Dark Chocolate tastes like. Thereafter, I realized the Hazelnut chocolate was a Tad Sweet for my liking — nonetheless consumption continued for as long as Godiva was in operation.

And do not get me started with Lindt. Godiva >>>> Lindt not even a question. The only time I went with Lindt was in the Supermarket with no availability of any other 70+% chocolate.

Dubai Chocolate Craze

If you’re Gen Z and sleep under a rock or part of another generation that isn’t as tapped in with TikTok (@my grandparents), Dubai Chocolate is chocolate filled with Pistachio Cream. The chocolate has gone viral on the internet and continues to dominate videos that we see every single day.

The way this viral pattern works is this: once video-makers figure out that consumers react better to “Dubai Chocolate” in their recipes or reviews than “dark chocolate” or “chocolate fudge” — their videos will naturally curtail to “Dubai Chocolate.” Instagram watchers inherently consume more content around “Dubai Chocolate” and the demand for the Dubai Chocolate remains as long as the creator / consumer cycle continues.

The bars sell for ridiculously high prices (margins are a home run) — so everyone wants to get in on the action.

Even Bodegas are selling them for $20 a pop. It’s Bizarro World.

Let me make this clear: it’s a trend that will disappear. Once viewers “get sick of” Dubai Chocolate content, Prices will eventually crash as inventory needs to get sold and demand will actually with the lower allure. It won’t be a slow grind down.

May take 5 years but it’ll happen.

When something is trendy, most un-innovative companies looking to get rich quick follow the trend and hope to cash in on the moment. I see it so much it makes me sick.

Graza Olive Oil is the best example. I don’t mind people copying the squeeze bottle. It was obvious (see my Dec. 2023 YT videos) once people discovered the enhanced form factor. What bothers me is the copy and paste of the brand colors. Guys. How many PMS Colors exist? You really have to steal the exact PMS colors of the most popular brand?

Bringing it back to Dubai Chocolate, I got really fcking pissed at the show today. Everyone and their mother is manufacturing and promoting a new product: Pistachio Cream.

This cream is meant to mimic the filling of Dubai chocolate — and is meant to hit either the at-home consumer OR manufacturer of Dubai chocolate. This cream is so similar to Nutella. And yes there are some companies that specialize in these types of unhealthy yet tasty products.

I’m OK with the candy brand that makes sugar products cool (Bon-Bon). That’s their identity and while I don’t agree with it, I respect it.

What bothers me is when the companies that offer healthy Pistachio Products decide to load their Pistachios with sugar to keep up with trends.

STAY IN YOUR LANE. You have no clue how many Pistachio creams were at the show today. It really pissed me off that every pistachio cream was sweetened with a ton of sugar. Sugar is ALWAYS the first ingredient in these creams.

It’s so new that the Sugar-Free Pistachio Creams haven’t even hit the market.

Remember the CPG industry (consumer packaged goods — aka snacks and drinks) industry moves much slower than tech as food products take a while to formulate, produce, and distribute.

If you care so much about health in your products, why all the sudden do you want to pump sugar into your customer’s bodies who think this Pistachio Cream is healthy?

That’s not right.

Other Notes

• Pistachio cream was one of the 100+ food products I tasted today at the Fancy Food Show. Of course I can unpack everything but at this rate I’d be pulling an all-nighter, an idea future me is rejecting.

• The summary of today was I filmed a 2 hour video trying foods from as many countries as possible that I think will come out great. Such a fun one to film.

  • Then I ate my face off haha.

• More validation of my July. More validation that I should work with brands I believe in. More cool connections.

• One more day.

Signing off.

-Jack