Hershey’s has me feeling kind of like Charlie Bucket—and I like it (mostly because I don’t also have a bunch of grandparents moldering in my living room). The iconic Pennsylvania chocolate company only made 10,000 of its new Dubai chocolate bars, and two of them recently arrived at Sporked HQ in a handsome gold box. Ever wondered if being a professional food taste tester pays off? Uh, yah—you could say so.
I unwrapped one of the bars—the other is going on eBay, obvi—and tasted it to find out if Hershey’s can hang with the rest of the kadayif crew.
Pros: During our recent Hershey’s bar taste test, I discovered something crazy: I actually really like Hershey’s chocolate, particularly the creamier chocolate they use in their Symphony line. I think the chocolate in this Dubai chocolate bar is creamier than the Hershey’s chocolate you’re imagining—much more like a Symphony bar. It seems like their premium stuff. The best part of this bar is the crunch—the kadayif (aka shredded philo dough) is HIGHLY crispy-crunchy. This is tasty and really fun to eat.
Cons: You’ll notice that this new Hershey’s bar is called “Dubai inspired.” Maybe they couldn’t call it Dubai chocolate for legal reasons? Since it’s from Pennsylvania rather than the UAE? Couldn’t tell ya, but I think “inspired” does a lot of heavy lifting here because this is definitely a take on Dubai chocolate. The pistachio cream is lovely, but the sweet Hershey’s chocolate definitely overpowers any pistachio flavor. And it’s nowhere near as oozy and creamy as the filling inside the best Dubai chocolate bars. Still, it’s really nice for “Dubai inspired” chocolate.
Credit: Liv Averett / Hershey’s
Rating:
8/10
Sporks
How can I get Hershey’s Dubai chocolate bar?
The bar launched TODAY (Dec. 4) on GoPuff in New York, Philly, and Chicago. Or if you’re in NYC, you can head to the Hershey’s store in Times Square and try your luck there!
Howdy! I’m Gwynedd, Sporked’s managing editor. I live in Los Angeles and have access to the best tacos the U.S. has to offer—but I’m a sucker for a crunchy Old El Paso taco night every now and then. I’ve been at Sporked since 2022 and I’m still searching frozen mozzarella sticks that can hold a candle to restaurant sticks.
Why you should trust me: I’ve been a journalist for 20 years (yikes), a consumer of food for 40-plus years, and I’m truly hard pressed to think of foods I don’t like (or that I can’t tolerate at the very least). Oh and one time I cooked my way through Guy Fieri’s cookbook and wrote about the journey through Flavortown.
What I buy every week: Trader Joe’s Original Savory Thins. Fat free plain yogurt (usually Fage or Nancy’s). Honeycrisp apples. Sweet cream coffee creamer for my at-home Americanos. A frozen cauliflower crust pizza and some jarred mushrooms to top it with. Old El Paso Stand ‘N Stuff taco shells and Gardein Ground Be’f, even though I think “be’f” is a nightmarish contraction.
Favorite ranking: Stouffer’s frozen dinners. I don’t own a microwave (I get my cancers the old fashioned way!), so I love taste testing things that I don’t really buy to eat at home.
Least favorite ranking: Soy sauce. Don’t get me wrong, I love soy sauce—but consuming that much sodium in one sitting is probably illegal in some countries. Our frozen enchilada taste test was a close second; the smell of microwaved corn tortillas still haunts me.
Subscribe
Get all the top food rankings, new product reviews, and other grocery content delivered to your inbox every other week.
Gwynedd Stuart
Griffin Parker
