Review: The Starbucks Dubai Chocolate Matcha Latte Isn't A Candy Bar In A Cup, But It's Good

TikTok might have received a U.S. ban, but the trendsetting social media platform isn't going quietly into that good night without creating a few more stars. The latest, greatest, and greenest is the Dubai Chocolate Bar which blends knafeh, a delicious Middle Eastern desert, with pistachio-tahini creme inside a thick chocolate shell. Sounds delicious, right? Fans certainly thought so when they invented a Starbucks order to copycat the taste.

For a lot of people, the problem is that the chocolate itself is neither easy nor cheap to get your hands on. While there's no one official edition of this bar, the origin for the viral trend seems to be FIX Dessert Chocolatier, with an A+ Insta-game that's sparkling with color and drool-worthy chocolate bars. If you want the realest deal, the "Can't Get Knafeh Of It" bar is probably the truest edition, at least as far as the craze is concerned It's exported from Dubai to a select few spots around the country, so the hunt is on! The most recent pricing info suggests you might pay around $20, though some stores may charge substantially more.

Elsewhere, people seem to really love the version by Dodo Chocolates, costing $45 (at time of writing). It also comes in an even pricier gold edition for just under $65. A huge price jump, though it may not be worth paying extra for the luxury of eating gold — mostly because edible gold doesn't actually taste of anything, so you'd be shelling out much more for very little in return. Spending your money to buy more chocolate is a smarter option. And if you can't find the chocolate you want, you could try out the Starbucks Dubai Chocolate Matcha Latte as a substitute, like I did.

If you can't get your hands on the original article (even though it seems as though multiple chocolatiers in Dubai are putting out their own version), or don't want to shell out $20 for the experience, you can do it a little more cheaply and a lot more accessibly by replicating the flavors as a matcha latte. That's right, savvy Starbucks fans have crafted their own version of the viral candy bar in a drinkable format.

The concoction adds two pumps of pistachio syrup to a matcha green latte, then tops the drink off with chocolate cold foam. Seems like pistachio flavors returned to Starbucks at the exact right moment to play around with a proven formula. While it's true that the Seattle-based coffee chain doesn't spin any ingredients resembling knafeh into its lattes, the earthiness of the matcha does stand in a bit. You're on your own with rose syrup or any crunchy bits, though. Personally, I don't think you'd want a crispy mouthful in your coffee, but chase your own dreams.

Well the good news, my friends, is that this latte ... hack? Recipe? This latte is available just about everywhere in the country. If you have a Starbucks, you have all you need to create one of these. Just order a grande iced matcha latte with two pumps of pistachio syrup, and topped with chocolate cold foam. So unless you've got a personal problem with your barista, you can get your hands on this one without searching around or breaking the bank. And if you do have a problem with your barista, your town probably has a second Starbucks. I went to one in Target; Starbucks coffee outlets really are everywhere.

As for cost? It'll vary a smidge, but you can expect a pretty standard price for a Starbucks latte with a couple of adjustments. My grande cost me about seven dollars with tax, but it could be closer to $7.50 for you. Not bad. Pretty close to one-third of the price of the candy bar, and way less effort to obtain.

Remember when I said there was no bad news? I was telling the truth. The closest thing to bad news here is this: The drink is probably not going to hit with the same force as a fancy candy bar. The taste proportions are different, and texture's a whole factor. But that's not really bad news. It still suggests the profile of this candy bar, according to people who have had both, so in a sense, you're doing a lower-cost dry run to see if the actual candy is for you.

As for myself, having only had the latte, I enjoyed it quite a bit. That chocolate cold foam with the nutty sweetness and richness of the pistachio is really something. Starbucks will give you a straw, but my advice to you is not to take it, and drink directly from the cup. The reason for this is the straw will pull all of the drink from the bottom, but that blend you're after, wherein the flavors really mingle like the candy bar, is all at the top. If you sip at an angle, the matcha slides in under the latte's cold foam, giving you all the flavors at once, rather than one or two. And boy does that cold foam hit right.

Well, admittedly, I'm predisposed to these pistachio drinks at Starbucks, calling them the best buys on a menu revamp that included a couple of nice cortados. All in all, I enjoyed this, and I'll leave my opinions on how much a latte should cost for my daily scheduled afternoon pastime of yelling at clouds. If anything, this has me pretty geared up to actually try the chocolate bar. It might be 20 dollars, but does look huge and gets imported across the world from ingredients to final product to me happily consuming it.

Just don't get your expectations up for the life-changing blast of chocolate and spun phyllo dough in pistachio bliss. This is an enjoyable drink that puts some novelty on a nice mainstay. And in fact, maybe you shouldn't hang too much of your hope on the candy bar itself? Nah, I can't lie to you. I live in a NYC neighborhood where "the real Little Italy" shops sell pistachio crema, and it has been exploding fireworks in my brain with every bite since college. Get that candy bar and make your stomach happy.