When bitten, the green inside is 'crunchy and sticky'... What fills the 'that chocolate' Koreans also fell for [Delicious Story]

⑤Knafeh, the Secret Behind Dubai Chocolate's Filling
A Popular Middle Eastern Pastry Originating from Palestine
Recognized Locally as a Symbol of National Identity

'Dubai Chocolate,' which once sparked a craze in Korea as well, is a chocolate dessert developed by the Middle Eastern Dubai confectionery company 'Fix Dessert Chocolatier' (Fix). It is characterized by a filling fully packed inside the chocolate, made by frying and roasting thin noodles called kadaif, a type of Middle Eastern vermicelli. Sarah Hamuda, the founder and CEO of Fix who invented Dubai Chocolate, referred to the filling made from kadaif as "knafeh." on her Instagram.

Fix Dessert Chocolatier Product Dubai Chocolate. Fix Dessert Chocolatier Homepage

Spread from Medieval Palestine to the Entire Middle East

Sarah Hamuda, founder of Fix Dessert Chocolatier and inventor of Dubai chocolate. Fix website

Although an unfamiliar name in Korea, knafeh is a pastry beloved throughout the Middle East. It is made by crushing thin vermicelli into a crispy pastry, served with nuts, cheese, and sweet syrup. Its exact origin is unclear, but it is known to have originated from the Fatimid Caliphate in the Middle East during the 10th century.

The place where knafeh was first made is Nablus, located in the West Bank of the Jordan River. The Nablus-style knafeh is so distinctive that it carries the proper noun 'Knafeh Nablus.' Nablus is currently part of Palestine.

Kunafa is a Middle Eastern pastry made by finely shredding and frying or roasting kadaif noodles, then serving them with sweet syrup or cheese. Instagram capture

The dessert, born in a small Palestinian town, soon spread throughout the Middle East. The Fatimid Caliphate, which ruled the Middle East in the 10th century, boasted a vast territory stretching from Egypt to Palestine. They observed Ramadan (the ninth month of the Islamic calendar, a fasting period) according to Islamic tradition, during which not even bread or water could be consumed, but the pastry knafeh was allowed. Among the fasting believers who were starving, knafeh’s popularity soared, and soon it became a food enjoyed throughout the Middle East.

Hamuda, an Egyptian-British businessman and CEO, also grew up eating Egyptian-style knafeh made by his mother during his childhood. After visiting Dubai in 2021 and searching for a special dessert, he came up with the idea of putting knafeh inside chocolate. The 'Dubai Chocolate' created by Fix was initially noted as a unique pastry combining Middle Eastern tradition with Western confectionery techniques, and now it has proudly established itself as a dessert enjoyed worldwide.

The Original City of Knafeh, Now Amidst the Smoke of War

Knafeh is one of the sweet pastries in the Middle East, but in Palestine, it is an important focal point of national identity. Sami Tamimi, a Palestinian chef currently residing in London, UK, described knafeh as "Palestinian tradition" in a Guardian article last year, praising it by saying, "We make this food during festivals. There is no celebration in Palestine without knafeh."

In Nablus, it is said that the entire town’s residents gathered to make knafeh. In 2010, the people of Nablus united to create the "world’s largest knafeh," which was registered in the Guinness World Records.

Balata Refugee Camp in Nablus, photographed in 2015. The West Bank, where Nablus is located, has experienced sporadic clashes and bombings even after the ceasefire in January, and the situation has been reported as extremely dangerous since the ceasefire ended on March 17. UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA)

Knafeh also reveals the deep divide between Palestine and Israel. In 2020, when an Israeli blogger made knafeh by putting ground beef instead of cheese, Palestinian netizens flooded the post with a "comment bomb," claiming it was not authentic knafeh. The issue of knafeh’s true origin has also escalated into a pride battle between the two countries. Palestine regards Knafeh Nablus as the original knafeh, while some in Israel claim that 'Jerusalem-style knafeh' predates it.

Unfortunately, knafeh is no longer produced in Nablus today. Since the Palestinian armed group Hamas launched a preemptive attack on Israel in October 2023, Israel has initiated large-scale retaliatory military operations in Palestinian territories. As the war expanded to the West Bank, Nablus became embroiled in the conflict. Local media such as the Middle East Monitor report that since February, the Israeli military has been demolishing some structures in refugee camps in Nablus.