Cultural Classics Reimagined: Gather Together for a new taste of the Middle East
Dubai chocolate has been a global phenomenon – and there are many good reasons for its remarkable popularity. Its distinctive pistachio flavor introduced a traditional taste of the Middle East to an innovative new format. Its signature green shade also brought that flavor to life and helped it steal the show on social media. Its luxurious image and limited availability were important factors too.
Once the trend began to gain traction, Dubai chocolate also became a unifying cultural moment – tapping into consumers’ desire to come together through food and drink. The craze created ways to connect, whether sharing the moment with friends, social media, or the queues of like-minded strangers outside shops and events.
During this time of global uncertainty, there is huge demand for food and drink that can provide a sense of emotional connection, joy, and comfort.
Joyful Unity: Comfort and nourishment
Among the great pleasures of many Middle Eastern dishes are that they are comforting, nourishing, familiar – and spectacularly shareable.
The Joyful Unity trend direction fits perfectly with these qualities. It explores the new ways people are using food and drink as a form of care and connection within their communities, with a focus on simple, seasonal, and soul-soothing options.
The Joyful Unity color direction features warm, inviting shades inspired by traditional ingredients and familiar flavor profiles:
- Golden ambers and honey tones
- Date browns and caramel hues
- Warm, rich reds and pinks
- Cocoa and coffee browns
- Bright greens
These tones can be used to create premium-but-approachable products such as:
Cultural Celebration: Festive and shareable
From table-friendly snacks to Eid al-Fitr feasts, generosity and hospitality are often at the heart of the Middle Eastern food and drink experience.
The Cultural Celebration trend direction looks at how people around the world are finding new ways to enjoy regional dishes and ingredients that are tied to their roots. Taking heritage flavors to new places, it is all about bringing new life to rich traditions.
The color direction features bold, expressive shades that help food and drink feel festive, shareable, and authentic:
- Soft turmeric yellows
- Deep plum and hibiscus-glazed reds
- Pinks ranging from warm and muted reddish hues to vibrant dragon fruit
- Deep, warm yellow-toned and herbal greens
- Sun-ripened and intense yellow and orange tones
The colors support fusion and limited-edition launches such as:
Cultural Classics Reimagined
The Dubai chocolate craze has shown how Middle Eastern food traditions can be given a new lease of life with spectacular success.
Our EXBERRY® colors – made from non-GMO fruit, vegetables, and plants – are the ideal way to transport traditional tastes into a bold new era. Whether promoting pistachio, signaling saffron, or bringing out the beet, our shades will help showcase the strengths of shareable treats and ensure your products stand out from the crowd.
The experts at GNT Middle East in Dubai are connected with the latest regional trends and will help you develop tailor-made food and drink for your target consumers. With sales and marketing teams alongside our brand-new application center, we’re perfectly placed to help you create the next big thing.
Create products that connect
Looking to launch the next big thing? The experts at GNT Middle East have reinvented a range of regional classics to spark inspiration for your new product development. These comforting-but-contemporary concepts are inspired by our Gather Together research – drawing on new color directions to bridge local flavors and global formats and create truly shareable moments.