Dubai chocolate continues to conquer social networks and the hearts of gourmets around the world. Millions of TikTok users watch daily videos of influencers opening boxes of crispy, green-filled bars. So why did this special dessert become so popular? The answer to this question was given by Oxford University experimental psychology professor Charles Spence.
According to the scientist, the secret to success lies in strong visual contrast, as the Daily Mail reports. “The bright green filling against the background of brown chocolate immediately attracts attention. Our brains are programmed to respond to unusual and rich colors, which is why Dubai chocolate works so well in photos and videos,” said Spence. He compared its effect to Aperol’s bright orange hue making the drink visually appealing.
Sweetness was born in 2024, thanks to chocolatier Sarah Hamouda, founder of the Fix Dessert Chocolatier brand. Inspired by her own pregnancy desires, she created the bar with pistachio cream, tahini and crispy kataifi dough. The inspiration was the oriental dessert kunefe. After influencer Maria Vejera posted a video tasting the treat, the Internet was flooded with videos featuring ASMR sounds, users happily biting into the chocolate, showing off the crunch and gooey filling.
Experts believe that a product’s virality is related not only to its color but also to its calorie content. “We are evolutionarily programmed to respond to energy-dense foods. “Delicious and high-calorie foods give us feelings of pleasure and excitement,” Professor Spence added. He noted that similar mechanisms were at work in other trends, such as rainbow-coloured cakes or unicorn-shaped desserts.
The element of exoticism also plays an important role. For many users, Dubai chocolate is not just a sweetness but also a “new discovery”. “People want to feel like food pioneers, especially in the age of social media. Therefore, there is a desire to be the first to try something unusual and share it online,” the scientist explained.
Another success factor is texture. The contrast of crunchy filling and delicate chocolate not only creates a pleasant mouthfeel, but also looks impressive in the video. “The main difficulty with food content is that the viewer cannot taste it, so bloggers are looking for ways to convey pleasure in a visual and healthy way. Hence the fashion for crunch, fluidity and bright colors,” the professor said.
Today, the Dubai chocolate trend has also been adopted by global brands. According to experts, such events show how strongly social networks influence global gastronomy. “Online food trends are not just a fad, they are real forces that can transform the food industry and even supply chains,” Spence concluded.
Bonus for those with a sweet tooth: Scientists remind us that moderate chocolate consumption can actually be beneficial. It contains magnesium, iron and mood-improving substances, and phenylethylamine, which is part of cocoa, is even called the “love hormone”. It looks like Dubai chocolate has every reason to remain TikTok’s top dessert.
By the way, we have previously made a selection of 5 extraordinary flavors of Dubai chocolate. See here.
Source: People Talk
Mary Crossley is an author at “The Fashion Vibes”. She is a seasoned journalist who is dedicated to delivering the latest news to her readers. With a keen sense of what’s important, Mary covers a wide range of topics, from politics to lifestyle and everything in between.
