IF you can’t get your hands on the real deal, Flying Eze’s Tom Bryden has reviewed of some of the pistachio and chocolate offerings from the high street that don’t cost an arm and a leg.
Here he compares six rivals that come in at less than £10 a piece, and gives them scores out of five.
J.D. Gross Dubai Style Chocolate £4.99, 122g, Lidl – 5/5
GREAT value for a bar that delivers the real Dubai chocolate flavour and in a size that won’t leave you feeling short changed.
The Middle Eastern-inspired packaging and golden foil wrapper add to the luxury feel.
At times it could have done with slightly more crunch but I can’t really complain given its very reasonable price.
Taste-wise, it was exactly what Dubai chocolate is all about – full of rich, creamy, pistachio flavour.
Pistachio Chocolate Selector £5.45, 72g, Hotel Chocolat – 3/5
THOUGH not branded as a Dubai chocolate alternative, the Pistachio Chocolate Selector can certainly hold up as one.
The standout here is the chocolate coating which tasted the best of them all, though it slightly overpowered the pistachio centre.
However this is more expensive than many of the others and you only get a few squares of it.
So while this does taste good, you’re soon left wishing you had more.
Ombar Pistachio Cream £2.15 – 42g, Waitrose – 3/5
IF you’re willing to go down the dark chocolate route, Waitrose sells a chocolate bar made by Ombar which still delivers on that creamy pistachio centre.
Though not sharing size, there’s still plenty here for one person.
The bitter dark chocolate offered an interesting twist compared to the other ones I tried.
But there wasn’t enough of that pistachio punch in the middle for me.
Still a super tasty snack.
Jumaira Delight Dubai Chocolate £7.99, 100g, Amazon – 4/5
IT wouldn’t be fair to test Dubai chocolate without comparing it to a version from the UAE.
While it can be hard to find it in supermarkets, on Amazon there are plenty of Dubai-style bars on offer, though often with pretty hefty prices.
This one for a slightly more reasonable £7.99 was super crunchy and its knafeh filling had much more kick than some.
Though given its price, this is one you’ll want to make last before buying a second.
Wawi DuBites £3.99, 100g, Home Bargains – 4/5
THIS bag of pistachio cream-filled chocolate bites is a great alternative to the big bars going viral on TikTok.
It’s also a big enough packet to let others have a try, with each bite the perfect snack size.
Though really tasty, the milk chocolate filled pieces could have done with a slightly stronger centre.
But it’s still a great way to get to know that Dubai chocolate flavour.
Ritter Sport Pistachio £2.20, 100g, Tesco – 1/5
A SMOOTH chocolatey offering containing roasted and salted pistachios.
Flavour wise, it hits the right spots but the chocolate was quite overpowering.
It also lacked the creamy centre that makes Dubai chocolate so moreish.
A decent bar of chocolate in its own right, but this version proves you should not be fooled into thinking any old pistachio chocolate can replace the Dubai version.
