A new, visually striking chocolate bar featuring a unique Turkish filling is currently making waves across the Russian confectionery market. Dubbed “Angel Hair” chocolate, this intriguing treat is appearing on the shelves of major retailers like Vkusvill and Samokat, sparking curiosity and, predictably, a flurry of social media activity. The central question posed by this new arrival is whether it possesses the potential to replicate the runaway success seen previously with the so-called “Dubai chocolate” trend.
The defining characteristic of “Angel Hair” chocolate lies within its unusual center. The filling is a fibrous Turkish dessert known as pişmaniye. Often described as a form of cotton candy, pişmaniye is distinctively made with flour and other ingredients alongside sugar, resulting in fine, thread-like strands. Presented within a chocolate bar, these strands offer an extraordinary visual effect: upon breaking the chocolate, delicate, filament-like fibers emerge, giving the impression of, well, angelic hair. This peculiar appearance has proven to be excellent fodder for short video content, fueling the initial online buzz.
However, not everyone is convinced this novelty will translate into lasting popularity. Ekaterina Abramova, a pastry chef and founder of the Abramova Cake School, weighed in on the phenomenon. She acknowledged the initial appeal: “The idea struck me as interesting. As a blogger and pastry chef, I naturally tried preparing it myself last winter because it looks engaging and unconventional.” Yet, her enthusiasm waned upon tasting: “The filling, the Turkish halvah [pişmaniye], is quite delicious on its own, but combined with chocolate, it becomes overpoweringly sweet. It`s so sweet it`s nearly impossible to eat.”
Abramova also highlighted practical challenges with the filling. “If you add additional components,” she noted, “the pişmaniye starts melting, and quite rapidly. I tried it with just the halvah base and also added raspberry confiture for tartness, but the filling still melted very quickly, turning into a mess when you break the chocolate. This chocolate doesn`t store well for long.” Comparing it to the “Dubai chocolate” trend, she explained its advantage: “With Dubai chocolate, you can mix it with practically any ingredient, and it remains genuinely appealing. It has crunch, contains pistachio which everyone loves, plus chocolate – that combination is fantastic.” Her verdict on “Angel Hair” is less optimistic: “This trend, I believe, won`t last. People will find out about it, try it, and realize it`s excessively sweet. The interesting, unusual break might be impressive for a moment, but it won`t endure, in my opinion.”
Beyond the taste and texture, another potential hurdle for the chocolate is, ironically, its name. A casual experiment among journalists at Business FM reportedly revealed that some were hesitant to even sample the dessert, put off by the idea of “hair in their mouth,” albeit angelic. Jokes about “Cupid`s fur” or “seraphim fleece” are perhaps inevitable but certainly do not aid in marketing. Ekaterina Ermilova, founder of the “Strawberry in Chocolate” company, echoed these concerns. “`Angel Hair` is indeed a repelling name,” she stated. “A name should be appetizing, something that makes you want to try it, evoke an emotion rather than an association with something off-putting.”
Ermilova further elaborated on the power of naming, referencing the previous trend: “`Dubai chocolate` is essentially just regular chocolate with butter and pistachio paste, but `Dubai` sounds exclusive, expensive, and desirable – something everyone wants to experience.” She argued that in the modern market, the product itself often takes a backseat to marketing and hype. “What`s behind a product has long ceased to be just taste; it`s marketing, the amount of advertising, the amount of hype,” she asserted, drawing a parallel to fleeting toy hypes.
Even the retailers stocking the “Angel Hair” seem to implicitly acknowledge the naming challenge. Samokat, for instance, lists the item under the more descriptive, albeit less catchy, name “Chocolate with pişmaniye filling,” pricing it around 1,500 rubles. Vkusvill opted for the English “Angel Hair,” offering it at a slightly lower price point of 1,000 rubles. Unlike the “Dubai chocolate,” which can be traced back to British-Egyptian entrepreneur Sara Hamouda in 2021, information regarding the culinary innovator behind “Angel Hair” appears to be elusive online, adding a layer of mystery to its sudden appearance.
In conclusion, while “Angel Hair” chocolate has certainly captured attention through its unique visual gimmick perfectly suited for the social media age, experts remain skeptical about its long-term prospects. The core issues of its perceived excessive sweetness and the potentially off-putting connotations of its name present significant challenges to sustained popularity. Whether the initial viral spread can overcome these fundamental product and marketing hurdles remains to be seen, but the consensus suggests this particular trend might be as fleeting as the sugary threads within its controversial filling.
