From Dubai to Delhi, the bar that launched a thousand imitations brings with it a global nut crisis that calls for a serious relook at our consumption patterns
After several trials, Le15 created a Kunafa Chocolate Pistachio Tart with a crisp shell, crunchy kunafa, pistachio paste, and dark chocolate ganache — a rich twist on the viral dessert
It all began in Dubai when British-Egyptian home baker Sarah Hamouda, driven by a pregnancy craving, crafted a bar blending creamy pistachio and crisp kataifi (shredded filo pastry). Her tiny, almost obscure chocolatier, Fix Dessert Chocolatier, sold just a few bars a week. Then, in late 2023, TikTok influencer Maria Vehera posted an ASMR-style video of the bar’s dramatic crunch and oozing pistachio.
It exploded online, triggering over 30,000 orders — crashing the small business’s delivery system overnight. Suddenly, there were queues outside Fix’s store, with customers limited to one or two bars each. People began flying out of Dubai with these bars, often reselling at steep markups. Scarcity only fuelled demand.
MOD’s Dubai Chocolate Donut
Soon, pastry chefs across India, Europe, and the US were racing to replicate the bar. However, Fix’s original bar remains the gold standard — if you can get your hands on it, is a cultural flex. Vikas Temani, Business Head at Paul And Mike Fine Flavour Chocolates says the brand has been tracking the Dubai kunafa chocolate trend for a while. Everyone from small chocolatier to big patisserie was making their version. “Some were decent, others not so much,” he says. But it wasn’t until they saw Lindt embracing it across Europe that they took it seriously. “Lindt has a knack for spotting trends early and delivering what consumers want. When we saw them investing — ads, activations, infrastructure — we knew this deserved our attention.”
By mid-last year, Paul And Mike began experimenting with pistachio types and pastes. “The local ones lacked the flavour punch we needed for a premium bar,” Temani says. That’s when he reached out to Dinika Bhatia of Nutty Gritties, who suggested Pishori pistachios — a deep green, intensely flavoured variety from Central Asia. “They’re 50 per cent more expensive than American pistachios, which are bred for yield, not taste. But once we switched, the flavour was finally right.”
It took three to four months of sourcing and R&D, but the launch was strong. “Sure, there are always sceptics,” he says, “but most feedback has been great. Several people who’ve tried both our bar and the original from Fix say ours is better. We benchmarked against Fix — it’s hard to get, but we managed to source one.”
Kunafa Stack: custard, pistachio cake, mulberries, and gelato topped with crunchy kataifi and molten Manam chocolate
On what sets their bar apart, Temani points to how smaller chocolatier often rely on commercially available couverture. “Their pistachio paste might be good, but they cut it with sesame paste or cocoa butter to stabilise the texture since pure pistachio paste is very runny,” he explains. “But even a small amount of those additions dilutes the flavour noticeably.” Paul And Mike chose not to compromise. “We worked out the supply chain to handle the challenges of using pure paste — that’s why our bar delivers a much stronger pistachio note and a higher chocolate quality overall.”
Fix retails at Rs 1,600 for 200 gm. To make the bar more accessible, Paul And Mike launched a smaller 90-100 gm version priced at R700. That way, it’s easier for people to try and possibly repeat.
Entisi’s kunafa chocolate bar uses American pistachios
Gourmet store, Food Square in Santa Cruz, which stocks international brands, tells us they brought the kunafa chocolate to India after tracking the trend in Dubai and Europe. “Initially, we imported small bars (around 60 gm) from Europe, pricing them at Rs 3,000. At that time, no one else in India had it. By January–February, we managed to source Lindt’s Dubai Style Chocolate, which sold at around R4,500 for a 125 gm bar. Right now, we sell 60–70 bars per month across brands — six or seven — and the demand is still strong from retail and B2B clients,” says Rugved Vartak, category head, Food Square (Landcraft Retail). “It’s no longer just about just that flavour, even in bars. We’re now seeing a wave of derivative flavours: cheesecake, raspberry, mango, pomegranate, Oreo — these dessert-forward chocolates are trending too,” he adds.
Pishori pistachios brought the flavour punch Paul And Mike needed
Manish Khanna, Chef and Founder-Partner at Brownie Point (India and Dubai), says, “Kunafa chocolate isn’t new — hotels and fine dining have done it for years. But it went viral thanks to TikTok and Instagram. Unlike most trends, this one stuck because of its texture. Classic desserts are creamy or moussey; kunafa brings a bold crunch from filo pastry and pistachio richness. That contrast is addictive. Crunch taps into something primal — every cuisine has it, from papad to puff pastry. Layer that into chocolate, and it becomes a sensory trigger. The flavours aren’t new — pistachio and chocolate are classic — but the texture and timing made them explode. I do have my reservations with people using vermicelli and passing it off as kataifi — it’s not the same. We use California and Central Asian pistachios, though I prefer California ones for its creaminess and subtlety in kunafa desserts.
Chef Ruby Islam, Head Chef at Manam Chocolate, says the trend endures because of its simplicity—crunchy kataifi, novel pistachio, and universally loved chocolate, all in a travel-friendly, snackable format, much like the Snickers of old — positioned as pocket snacks. Its scarcity and Instagram appeal only heightened demand. “Customers asked for it, but we don’t replicate — we reinterpret,” she says. This Ramzan, instead of the usual bar, Manam introduced a Kunafa Stack layered with silky house-made custard, mulberries, pistachio cake, toasted granola, and dates, topped with gooey pistachio kataifi and finished with a scoop of house-made gelato (pistachio, vanilla, Chakkarakeli banana, or 67 per cent dark chocolate) and a pour of molten Manam Chocolate.
Manish Khanna believes kunafa went viral for its crunch — kataifi pastry and pistachio richness create an addictive contrast that classic desserts lack. The texture made it trend; the flavour made it stick. Saloni Kukreja collaborated with Woodside Inn for a delicious take on the Dubai pista kunafa
Next week, Le15 adds a macaron and tart to their kunafa pistachio chocolate offerings. Founder Pooja Dhingra too believes the trend has endured because of its texture. “It’s creamy, crunchy, chocolatey — a true sensory experience. Unlike trends relying on visual appeal, this one delivers on taste. That’s why people keep returning, and it’s gone from being a trend to almost a new dessert category.”
Dhingra held off until she had something that truly felt special. “We waited until we could create something that stayed true to our quality standards but also captured the heart of the trend,” she says. “It started when a close friend came back from Dubai craving it and asked us to make something inspired by it.” After multiple trials, Le15 landed on a Kunafa Chocolate Pistachio Tart with a crisp tart shell, crunchy kunafa, homemade pistachio paste, and dark chocolate ganache — a rich, indulgent take on the viral dessert.
For the Woodside Inn X Indu Ice Cream collab until May 11, the ice cream brand’s founder, Saloni Kukreja, has created Dubai Pista Kunafa — a “cool” take on the viral Internet sensation. This one comes with decadent crisp kunafa, rich pista paste, choco chip pista ice cream, dark chocolate drizzle, and a mic-drop topping of roasted pistachios and fried kunafa.
Pooja Dhingra, Manish Khanna, Rugved Vartak and Vikas Temani
éntisi’s Kunafa Chocolate Bar blends rich textures and flavours inspired by the Middle Eastern dessert kunafa and has crisp layers, golden strands of kunafa with velvety chocolate and a smooth filling made from premium American Pistachios, a brand they have partnered with. A 100-gram bar retails around Rs 600 The global pistachio market has been facing pressure due to weather-related challenges and rising demand.
Droughts in key growing regions like California and fluctuating yields in Iran and Turkey have impacted supply. At the same time, pistachios have surged in popularity worldwide, driven by their health benefits and viral dessert trends — from pistachio lattes to kunafa chocolate bars. Prices have soared, and premium varieties are harder to source, pushing chefs and chocolatiers to get creative with procurement.
Pistachio rates have shot up dramatically. Especially for those using Pishori, the impact is even more. “It’s almost 3-4 times the cost of regular pistachios. Initially, we thought this bar would give us a break from expensive cacao — since the filling is mostly pistachio with just a chocolate shell. But now, thanks to the trend, there’s even a global pistachio shortage! We’re also trying to secure our annual supply now, with Diwali and New Year demand looming,” says Temani.
Khanna shares he has seen the price of California pistachios increase by nearly 20 per cent over the last year, and there’s now a real shortage — similar to what happened with avocados, morels, and saffron. “It’s pistachio’s time in the limelight. At our store, we’re not just doing kunafa chocolate — we have kunafa cakes, cheesecakes, brownies, and more. The obsession is at the next level in Dubai, where I just returned from. If we were selling 100 cakes daily, now nearly 40 per cent are kunafa variants. And it’s evolving — we’ve seen demand for mango, pomegranate, even strawberry kunafa chocolate variants.”
Chef Anahita Dhondy says pistachio has always been rich, flavourful, and expensive. “We’ve used it sparingly because of the cost and effort involved. A kilo with the shell often yields just 400–500 gm of usable nut, so we add it only when it’s essential.” But pistachio and chocolate, she says, is a timeless pairing with incredible pistachio-chocolate bars and pistachio gelato in Italy, where the nut is also used widely in desserts and drinks.
“You see versions of pistachio kunafa bars in Delhi’s pastry shops. Then came the food influencers and home bakers — it became a full cycle of virality, from boutique stores to hotel menus to home kitchens and back again. In Delhi, it’s just exploded. And all this demand has only pushed pistachio prices even higher.”
Vartak says, “As for pistachios, the price surge hasn’t fully hit the retail market yet, but we expect a noticeable increase by the end of May. There’s concern about future supply shortages too. Chocolate prices, however, have already jumped — premium chocolates have seen a 25–30 per cent hike since February.”
India relies heavily on pistachio imports, with local cultivation still minimal. Offering pistachio-based treats as limited-edition, premium items appears to be the only sensible way to satisfy demand—lest scarcity sparks another viral trend, much like the Dubai Kunafa Chocolate.
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