In the heart of Barcelona’s elegant Eixample district, a world-champion pastry chef is capturing the city’s culinary imagination by uniting a viral global trend with a deeply cherished local tradition. Josep Maria Rodríguez Guerola, the master patissier behind the acclaimed Pastisseria Barcelona, has unveiled a unique chocolate bar that marries the crunchy, pistachio-laden ‘Dubai chocolate’ with the classic Catalan flavour of crema cremada.

Your browser does not support the video tag.

The creation responds to the international phenomenon of Dubai chocolate, a rich milk or dark chocolate bar filled with toasted kataifi pastry and pistachio paste that has dominated social media feeds since its invention in 2021. Rather than simply replicating the trend, Guerola saw an opportunity for a distinctly Catalan interpretation.

A Tale of Two Desserts

“I thought, if Dubai chocolate is so successful and it’s a foreign product, and crema cremada is our dessert par excellence, why not unite the flavours and make a chocolate bar with both?” Guerola explained to local news outlet betevé. This question sparked a period of experimentation, culminating in a product that has generated significant curiosity among his clientele.

The result is a sophisticated fusion. The bar maintains the essence of the Dubai trend through its signature crunchy filling, while the soul of the bar is pure Catalonia. Crema catalana, often compared to crème brûlée, features hints of citrus and cinnamon, crowned with a layer of hard, burnt sugar.

The Alchemist’s Workshop

The meticulous process begins by tempering caramelised white chocolate. Guerola then decorates the tile-shaped mould with edible gold and green powder to honour the aesthetic of the original Dubai bar, alongside splashes of yellow-coloured white chocolate to evoke the creamy hue of crema cremada.

“You have to mix them into the batter one by one, being careful not to damage or break the texture of the kataifi pastry too much,” Guerola noted, highlighting the delicate craft involved.

The true heart of the creation is its complex filling. It features toasted kataifi pastry (thin vermicelli-like strands) combined with raw Marcona almond paste, white chocolate, traditional Catalan neules (rolled wafers), candied lemon peel, and a hint of cinnamon. Workers carefully pipe this mixture into the chocolate shell before sealing it with a final layer of white chocolate. After hours of refrigeration, the bar is ready.

A Legacy of Excellence

This innovative approach is characteristic of Guerola and his wife, Anna Jarquín, who have been at the forefront of Barcelona’s high-end pastry scene since 2011. Both are alumni of the prestigious Escola Hofmann and have honed their skills in top-tier patisseries and Michelin-starred restaurants across Barcelona and France.

Experts globally recognise their expertise. In 2011, Guerola won the title of World Pastry Champion at the prestigious Coupe du Monde de la Pâtisserie, one of the industry’s highest honours. Jarquín, herself an accomplished pastry chef, has won ‘The Best Restaurant Dessert’ award.

They opened their shop on Carrer Aragó in 2012, and it has since become a benchmark for creativity and quality. Pastisseria Barcelona has accumulated numerous awards, including the Innovation Prize in 2019, ‘Best Pastry Shop’ in the same year, and ‘Best Product of the Year’ in 2021 for another of their creations.

Their work represents a wider movement in Barcelona’s food scene, where tradition and innovation coexist. While chefs reimagine global trends, others elevate local classics. This includes everything from the city’s ultimate guide to traditional capipota stew to viral spots like Bar Bocata, which serves time-honoured fillings. This new chocolate bar finds its place perfectly within that dynamic, offering a taste that is both excitingly new and comfortingly familiar.