Ever heard of kataifi? It’s a sweet ‘string’ pastry that’s commonly used in Middle Eastern desserts like knafeh, and sweet and savoury pastries. Previously an uber-niche ingredient here in Australia, you’d now be hard pressed to find a packet of it available anywhere, and it’s all down to one very viral chocolate bar.

Unless you’ve been living under a rock for the past few years (and who could blame you), you’ll be familiar with the Dubai chocolate craze. This pistachio-filled delight went bonkers on social media a few years back after a few TokTokkers shared videos of themselves eating and raving about it. But unlike other viral trends – ‘Girl Dinners’ and eating an orange in the shower, for instance – this one has not faded almost immediately into ether again. Instead, Dubai chocolate’s momentum just keeps on growing. 

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Credit: Getty Images / Murzik Nata

What does this have to do with some random pastry? Kataifi pastry is combined with pistachio cream to make the chocolate’s irresistibly salty-sweet filling. And since a bar of Dubai chocolate is fairly hard to come by here in Australia, everyone is having a crack at making their own. Hence the sudden shortage. 

We were alerted to this strange set of events by our food team, who were hoping to order some kataifi pastry to make their own spin on the viral chocolate (just wait until you see what they have planned… although you may have to wait a while). After trying five or six of their regular suppliers, they found all had completely sold out of the flaky, crispy delight. Not a single strand was to be found for poor old team delicious. 

“I went to a deli in Marrickville, and the first thing they said to me was, ‘You’re not making that Dubai chocolate, are you?'” says delicious. Content Producer Phoebe Hird. “Everyone I’ve spoken to says they have no idea when more kataifi will become available.”

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Credit: Chris Court

This comes at the same time as major supermarkets have reported skyrocketing demand for pistachios. However, at this stage, there don’t appear to be any pistachio shortages. Yet. Perhaps they learned their lesson after the great cottage cheese shortage of 2025. 

But don’t lose heart. If you’re desperate for a Dubai chocolate fix, there is some hope. Hird is planning to trial using crushed vermicelli (toasted in a pan with butter) in place of kataifi. She promises to report back. 

Matt Preston will also be sharing his own experience of tackling a Dubai chocolate recipe in his column next Wednesday, May 7. Grab a copy of your local paper, or head to this site to find out how he fared.

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