Abu Dhabi is getting its own chocolate flavour. Chef Nouel Catis, who helped create the viral Dubai chocolate, has launched the Abu Dhabi chocolate, a salted caramel and halwa treat that he hopes will capture the capital’s distinct flavours and identity.
"When you take a bite, what you experience right away is very Abu Dhabi," Catis tells The National. "Even the older generation of Emiratis who tried it said it reminded them of home. So instead of creating a bar like Snickers or Twix that's commercial, this is really more of a cultural bar."
The chocolate was a year in the making and the final flavour is a mix of spices, from cardamom to saffron, as well as tahini and date syrup. There are also hints of balaleet, the sweet and savoury Emirati dish that's traditionally enjoyed at breakfast. All of this is ensconced in a thick, salted caramel bar topped with 24-karat gold flakes.
"The older generation will relate to the flavours, but the chocolate salted caramel casing also makes it relevant to the younger generation," Catis says. "I want this to be not only for a certain generation, but celebrated by all ages, especially Emiratis.
"So when you take a bite, it's like you're sitting in a coffee shop in the afternoon, with a dallah coffee pot in one hand and a piece of halwa in the other. That's the kind of feeling I want to evoke with this chocolate bar."
Priced at Dh100 ($27) for a 200g bar, the Abu Dhabi chocolate is available from Friday and will initially be sold only at home-grown restaurant Rain Cafe.
The Abu Dhabi chocolate is a part of a series of city-themed treats the Filipino chef has been releasing through his Sna'ap brand, which he founded a year ago. But he says this chocolate is special, because it's also his homage to a city he lived in for eight years.
Catis, who worked for years as an in-flight chef for Etihad Airways, launched his own culinary consulting company in 2018 in Dubai. It was there that he was approached by entrepreneur Sarah Hamouda to bring her idea of a dessert inside a chocolate bar to life – and the viral Dubai chocolate was born.
"Abu Dhabi has been the cradle for whatever success I've achieved," he says. "So the chocolate is really my giving back to Abu Dhabi what it deserves in terms of chocolate."
Groom and Two Brides
Director: Elie Samaan
Starring: Abdullah Boushehri, Laila Abdallah, Lulwa Almulla
Rating: 3/5
Another way to earn air miles
In addition to the Emirates and Etihad programmes, there is the Air Miles Middle East card, which offers members the ability to choose any airline, has no black-out dates and no restrictions on seat availability. Air Miles is linked up to HSBC credit cards and can also be earned through retail partners such as Spinneys, Sharaf DG and The Toy Store.
An Emirates Dubai-London round-trip ticket costs 180,000 miles on the Air Miles website. But customers earn these ‘miles’ at a much faster rate than airline miles. Adidas offers two air miles per Dh1 spent. Air Miles has partnerships with websites as well, so booking.com and agoda.com offer three miles per Dh1 spent.
“If you use your HSBC credit card when shopping at our partners, you are able to earn Air Miles twice which will mean you can get that flight reward faster and for less spend,” says Paul Lacey, the managing director for Europe, Middle East and India for Aimia, which owns and operates Air Miles Middle East.
The specs
Engine: 2.3-litre, turbo four-cylinder
Transmission: 10-speed auto
Power: 300hp
Torque: 420Nm
Price: Dh189,900
On sale: now
Black Panther
Dir: Ryan Coogler
Starring: Chadwick Boseman, Michael B Jordan, Lupita Nyong'o
Five stars
MATCH INFO
Uefa Champions League last 16, first leg
Liverpool v Bayern Munich, midnight, Wednesday, BeIN Sports
Tamkeen's offering
- Option 1: 70% in year 1, 50% in year 2, 30% in year 3
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The biog:
From: Wimbledon, London, UK
Education: Medical doctor
Hobbies: Travelling, meeting new people and cultures
Favourite animals: All of them
What can victims do?
Always use only regulated platforms
Stop all transactions and communication on suspicion
Save all evidence (screenshots, chat logs, transaction IDs)
Report to local authorities
Warn others to prevent further harm
Courtesy: Crystal Intelligence
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