Chocolate pistachio bars from Dubai go viral in Denver

Pistachios have been trending in the culinary world for some time now – in everything from coffee and cocktails to pancakes and desserts. But the trend received a huge boost in recent months when a bar of chocolate made and sold in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, went viral on social media.

The filling of these sometimes luscious treats consists of a shredded puff pastry mixture called kataifi, which is fried or baked to make it crispy, then mixed with pistachio pralines or pistachio butter and tahini paste. The whole thing is then covered in chocolate. The original, from a shop called FIX Dessert Chocolatier, uses milk chocolate, although dark and white chocolate are also used.

Now, videos and photos of people breaking them open to reveal their sticky, greenish insides are all over TikTok and Instagram. But since the bars were only available in Dubai, people around the world have been making their own versions and selling them or posting them online.

One of the first people in Denver to do this was Liane Pensack-Rinehart of Colorado Cocoa Pod, which sells truffles and candies at pop-up markets and online.

“When it first became trendy, I was asked whether I would make it or not. At first I didn't want to, but I honestly love pistachios and wanted to try it myself,” she explained via email. The combination of kataifi and pistachios is common in some Middle Eastern desserts.

So she told her customers that she would be willing to make it if she could find the ingredients, especially the kataifi, at a reasonable price. Although the ingredients were sold out in many places online due to the viral videos, Pensack-Rinehart found a local distributor.

After some trial and error, she finally came up with a recipe that worked well both structurally and flavor-wise, and has since expanded it to include different shapes and sizes, as well as a vegan version.

“Many of my friends who are chocolatiers were also asked to create it, as the original is only available in Dubai. And I think the exclusivity has contributed to its huge popularity,” said Pensack-Rinehart.

TC Nguyen-Vu agrees. A local designer, content creator and home cook, she created a version of the bar when it went viral over the summer and posted it online.

After that, friends and family asked her to make more bars for them. She eventually did, in milk chocolate, dark chocolate and white chocolate, and began selling them (for $35) at CôNu's Corner Cafe, 4400 W. 29th Ave., a Vietnamese restaurant and grocery store in Denver.

Nguyen-Vu believes the bars became so popular because they were so hard to get. FIX doesn't ship, so only people in Dubai could buy them and they became very exclusive.

“Content creators from Dubai created videos that made everyone more curious,” she said. “The bars are very beautiful on the outside, but pistachio filling is not common in the U.S. So when you break the bars open and see the beautiful green filling, it's a bit of a surprise.”

“And finally, there's ASMR. When you hear the crunchy filling, it's fascinating. You want to know what it is and what it will taste like,” she added.

Nguyen-Vu fills hers with kataifi, tahini, butter and pistachio cream. She uses the brand name Stash, but FIX is responsible for its inspiration and popularity.