Filipinos have contributed to many infamous sweet flavors in recent years. From ube to pandan, they
are among some of the recognizable flavors connected to Filipino culture. However, most people do
not know that a Filipino chef was responsible for the creation of the Dubai Chocolate phenomenon.
Nouel Catis Omamalin is a Filipino chef and artisan, born and raised in Dipolog City, Philippines. He
is the mastermind behind the global phenomenon, alongside the founder of Fix Dessert Chocolatier,
Sarah Hamouda. Nouel Omamalin graduated from the University of the Philippines, and went on to
study at the French Culinary Institute. He played around with different flavors and fillings until he
found the right recipe. The handmaking process took Omamalin and his team 6 to 8 hours, and due to
the small amount of chocolate bars being sold at this time, it would sell out immediately. According to
Arab News, Omamalin was inspired by nostalgia when crafting the recipe for Dubai Chocolate,
specifically, knafeh, a Middle eastern dessert with pistachio chunks.
“I wanted to be the first Filipino to break ground…I think that has been my driving force up to now,”
Nouel Omamalin told Arab News. He has succeeded in this goal as Dubai Chocolate remains one of
the most prominent flavors in the world now.
Dubai Chocolate quickly took the internet by storm, as it was soon featured in cafes and dessert shops
across the world. It started off as a chocolate bar, with pistachio and kataifi filling, exclusively sold in Fix
Dessert Chocolatier in Dubai. However, more people sought out the chocolate bar for its rich filling
and its growing popularity across social media platforms. The thick chocolate bar had a satisfying crack
with a delicious amount of kataifi filling inside. Due to its exclusivity, more influencers took on the
challenge of making the chocolate bar at home with their own ingredients, thus birthing the Dubai
Chocolate trend. The trend of making the chocolate bar, from toasting the kataifi filling, to grinding
the pistachios into a paste gained a large attraction with millions of views across TikTok and Instagram.
From influencers to renowned chefs, many people around the world tried to recreate the infamous
recipe.
After its launch to popularity, Dubai Chocolate wasn’t just a chocolate bar, it was a well-known flavor
for sweet treats around the world. Some famous sweets include ice cream flavors, milkshakes
(specifically sold in Shake Shack), a Crumbl cookie, a Starbucks flavored drink, and the popular Korean
chewy cookie. Nowadays, in almost every cafe, you can find a Dubai Chocolate-flavored item.