As the cashier at Littletons Market rang up my $15 Dubai chocolate bar, the only thought that went through my mind was that “this better be good.”

My household always has green, crunchy pistachios around for a quick snack. When I heard that these delectable nuts were involved in a chocolate bar, this immediately drew me in. Walking into Littleton’s Market, I made my way to the candy aisle and immediately found the prized bar. With the size equivalent to a large dry-erase marker, the price of $15 was astounding.

“What is so special about this chocolate bar?” I thought to myself as I made my way to the cashier.

Walking out of the market with my prized Dubai chocolate bar in hand, I went to one of the patio chairs to dive in. At first sight, the chocolate wrapper seemed elegant, with “Dubai Chocolate” in gold letters spread across the front. Carefully unwrapping the chocolate bar, I noticed it looked just like a regular candy bar. Dark brown milky chocolate encased the green pistachio filling, protecting the goodness on the inside.

Breaking it into two pieces, I peered into the inside, and in my opinion, it appeared like something some people would find inedible. The faded, green pistachio filling mixed with light yellow crunchy knafeh bits would most likely fail the test of a picky eater. Nevertheless, I was excited to try this new-fangled sweet.

Breaking myself off a square piece, I bit into this unfamiliar chocolate—and couldn’t have been more pleasantly surprised. The pistachio filling offered the perfect refreshing, nutty taste accompanied by a satisfying light crunch from the knafeh bits. Although this may sound dramatic, I’ve never tasted a chocolate bar that offered such a perfect balance of flavors. Initially, before digging in, I questioned the inclusion of pistachios, thinking it wouldn’t pair well with the sweet nature of chocolate. This bar immediately proved me wrong, as the earthy taste balanced out the sugary sweetness of the milk chocolate. This combination threw my taste buds quite the party.

Although the flavor profile blew me away, the price was still concerning. The size, as stated before, could resemble the size of a large dry-erase marker. To me, $15 seems unreasonable for something of a smaller size. To counter my opinion, the Dubai chocolate
production method is highly labor-intensive. According to CNBC, the truly authentic versions are handmade in small batches by skilled artisans, which raises the value. Not to mention that the ingredients in Dubai chocolate are usually of higher quality, which also affects the price tag. This is definitely another instance of TikTok trends influencing my purchases. Dubai chocolate pleasantly surprised me, so this unique treat certainly scores a 9/10 in my scorebook. If you love a good balance of pistachio goodness paired with sweet milky chocolate, then this bar is up your alley. My favorite part of this treat was the incorporation of the crispy knafeh pieces, as the satisfying crunch in my mouth tied everything together. I did decide to deduct one point due to the relatively high cost, but other than that, I would recommend this treat to anyone who loves a good, balanced chocolate bar. All in all, Dubai chocolate is a masterpiece of both flavor and texture, offering sweet, nutty excellence in every bite.