The viral TikTok flavor that's sweeping Palma's ice cream shops

PalmPalma's ice cream shops are offering an increasingly wide and exotic selection. They must satisfy tourists' tastes without losing sight of trends emerging on social media. A clear example is the success of Dubai chocolate, a viral flavor that combines chocolate, pistachio paste, and kataifi (a crunchy thread pastry), which originated on TikTok. Several ice cream shops consulted by ARA Baleares confirm that this flavor has become one of their best-selling thanks to the impact of digital platforms. This chocolate originates in the United Arab Emirates, where Sarah Hamouda founded Fix Dessert in 2021, a company that makes chocolate bars by combining ingredients. In the case of Dubai chocolate, she wanted a flavor reminiscent of the Arabic knafeh dessert. Under the title "trying Dubai chocolate," videos have gone viral in which users eat this ice cream for the first time. Users even share recipes for its preparation, accumulating millions of views. Its success has spread to supermarkets, where sales have also increased.

Despite this new trend, ice cream shops emphasize that, when it's hot, customers tend to prefer fruit ice creams. "They're fresher," remarks Abigail, manager of the Filippo ice cream shop on Avenida de Argentina in Palma. The establishment is committed to innovation and offers new, artisanal flavors each season. "Every summer we have something different," she explains.

According to Abigail, preferences vary depending on the age and origin of the customer: Spaniards over 50 opt for classic flavors like rum and raisins or tutifruti, while younger people prefer something new. As for German tourists, cookie ice cream is the most popular. Laughing, she also comments that foreigners "eat a lot of ice cream" compared to locals: "They'll order four or five scoops with toppings".

At the Rosario ice cream shop, located in the square of the same name, they also confirm the popularity of fruit ice creams in summer. Lemon, passion fruit, and strawberry flavors lead sales during the hottest days.

The same is true at the Iceberg ice cream shop, on Carrer del Palau Reial, one of the brand's three in Ciutat de Barcelona. There, they highlight orange ice cream as one of their specialties and point out that strawberry, mango, and lemon sorbets are the best-selling during the summer. Spanish tourists choose flavors like almond and coffee, but pistachio is the most popular among the general public, thanks to the perception that it is healthier.

According to the same shop, Germans prefer hazelnut, almond, and lemon ice creams; Italians, strawberry, hazelnut, and pistachio; while the British and Swiss opt for strawberry, cherry, Dubai chocolate, and caramel. Argentines, on the other hand, have a preference for milk meringue ice cream.

This diversity of tastes is combined with a wide range of available flavors: up to 24 at a time. Some are only available during the summer, such as passion fruit. The influence of social media is also noticeable in the influx of customers: an English influencer visited Iceberg and, after posting a positive review, the number of visitors skyrocketed. "They came to order exactly what she had posted," they explain.

The fame of the pistachio

One of the flavors that has grown the most in popularity in recent years is undoubtedly pistachio. Both Rivareno, in the Plaza de la Lonja, and Helados Paco, in Blanquerna, claim it's the best-selling flavor. "We produce around 40 kilos a day," explains Anita, from Rivareno.

At Helados Paco, other popular flavors also stand out, such as Rocher—inspired by the famous chocolate—and the house's own flavors, such as custard with ensaimada (a type of dessert) or bonbon, a particular version of stracciatella that is a hit with customers.

The best-selling ice creams

Although classic ice cream flavors—chocolate or vanilla, for example—are still valued and chosen by customers, it cannot be denied that their role in consumer preferences has been somewhat displaced in recent years. As has been seen, more innovative, and in some cases, exotic flavors have taken center stage. This is the case with the now-famous pistachio ice cream and Dubai chocolate. This is the ranking of the favorites in the City's ice cream shops: