Viral Dubai Chocolate Chef Hails German Court's Ban, Says City Should Benefit From Hype

Chef Nouel Catis

“For example, you cannot call a cheese Camembert or a drink champagne if it doesn't come from that particular region in France. Similarly, a chocolate should not be called Dubai chocolate if it is not made in Dubai.”

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On Tuesday, a German court banned a discount supermarket chain from selling a version of 'Dubai chocolate' made in Turkey after a businessman registered a complaint. The court ruled that "the average consumer would take 'Dubai Handmade Chocolate', as the phrase appears, to mean that the chocolate was manufactured in Dubai".

Nouel added that branding a chocolate made in other countries as Dubai chocolate was“misleading” to customers.“They can say Dubai-style chocolates but cannot claim that it is the viral chocolate,” he said.“The emirate is a hub of innovation and this chocolate is a testament to that. So rightfully Dubai should benefit from the hype it is receiving.”

Originally, FIX Dessert Chocolatier, a Dubai-based dessert brand founded by Sarah Hamouda, came up with the idea of a pistachio kunafa bar and hired Chef Nouel to help develop the recipe.

The chocolate bar has now catapulted to global fame and spurned thousands of replicas all over the world, including from very reputed chocolate brands.

For Chef Nouel, the craze for the chocolate has been a source of great pride.“As a recipe innovator, it validates what you are doing,” he said.“It reassures me that I have found a formula that really works. My belief is that nostalgia is really the key ingredient for creating an unforgettable recipe and not just copying recipes from books. For an entire generation, this recipe of kunafa chocolate will be the taste of their childhood. This chocolate has become part of the confectionery institution and I am really proud of my part in it.”

Chef Nouel added that he foresees more such lawsuits in the future.“You can see several big brands joining the bandwagon,” he said.“These companies will fight for market share and at some point in time, governments could intervene to make sure that chocolate is regulated. That is the case with most things that are widely consumed as they want to make sure that people get what they pay for. I don't see this ending with just one lawsuit. I think we will see many more cases similar to this and this might have just set a precedent.”