Dubai chocolate, which consists of pistachios, shredded pastry, and chocolate, has faced competition from a new contender.
In Trabzon, the four sisters have introduced hazelnut paste Trabzon chocolate, which has become a rival to the Dubai chocolate that has seen a surge in demand recently. The Sungur sisters, who are struggling to keep up with the orders for their Trabzon chocolate, have even received orders from Dubai, the city after which the Dubai chocolate is named.
Four sisters, Seyyare, Sinem, Demet, and Kübra Sungur, living in Trabzon, have established their own brand to enhance the value of hazelnuts, which their family has been producing for three generations. By combining hazelnuts with chocolate, the Sungur sisters have opened three branches due to the high demand for their chocolates, adding value to hazelnuts with their own products. They have not remained indifferent to the “crazy” surge in demand for Dubai chocolate, which consists of pistachios, shredded pastry, and chocolate. Operating a production center entirely staffed by women, the Sungur sisters have been producing hazelnut paste Trabzon chocolate and have struggled to keep up with the orders. In addition to requests from many provinces in Türkiye, they have also received orders from abroad and have applied for a patent for Trabzon chocolate, effectively becoming a competitor to Dubai chocolate. Seyyare Sungur, one of the sisters, mentioned that they have even received orders for Trabzon chocolate from Dubai.
Seyyare Sungur stated that they established the hazelnut business nine years ago to add value to hazelnuts. She said, “There is actually a result of popular culture worldwide. This is a fact, and we must accept it now. Social media has an impact on this. Moreover, the fact that this product, which contains hazelnuts, pistachios, and shredded pastry, is so famous under the name Dubai has gone viral worldwide. Everyone has started producing related products, including us. Of course, initially, we started making it with the hazelnuts grown in our region instead of pistachios. I see this entirely as a result of popular culture.”
Sungur noted that they have been unable to keep up with the orders, saying, “Actually, hazelnuts and chocolate are very well-known flavors in this region. We just wanted to refresh this. Of course, by adding shredded pastry, it became popular due to its crunchiness. A woman made Dubai chocolate famous, and it seems that it is again a woman entrepreneur’s turn to produce and make Trabzon chocolate famous. We are receiving very positive feedback; it is very well-liked. As I said, it is a flavor we already know. Right now, we really can’t keep up with the orders; we can’t answer the phone calls. There is a lot of intense interest. We thank everyone. The fact that it is named Trabzon is leading to a transformation that is making waves worldwide. Trabzon is truly a brand city.”
Sungur mentioned that when Dubai chocolate first came out, it was sold at very high prices, while Trabzon chocolate is priced reasonably. “Since we are direct producers, we have kept the prices at a very reasonable level. It is unfortunately not possible for a product of this quality, with such a rich filling, to be sold at this price in the market. With this ratio, we actually aimed for it to be an accessible price for everyone, a quality product, and to bring in a steady profit. We offered people the freedom to purchase at this price,” she added.
Source: IHA