On a recent expedition to explore the lore behind the viral Dubai chocolate bar, the DiG team stopped by WowBooza for a taste test of their sensational desserts! Taking the internet by storm, there’s only a handful of local businesses in Gwinnett selling this trending chocolate bar and WowBooza was one of the first.
WowBooza is a family-owned Palestinian business that sells a variety of tasty and traditional treats from booza and kunafa to crêpes and delicious Turkish coffee. For those unfamiliar with booza, it’s a Palestinian-style ice cream that features a uniquely creamy and stretchy texture! The secret behind the stretchiness of this dairy dessert is the ingredient mastic which is a natural resin found from trees on the island of Chios. Owner Loqman Salem’s love of booza is what started his journey into the world of traditional confections from his childhood.
Salem was born in Chicago but spent several years in the West Bank which allowed him to experience his family’s Palestinian culture and learn Arabic. This is where he enjoyed booza first hand! As he got older, Salem worked as an ice cream salesman, selling different varieties at local events. Once his family moved to the Atlanta area, Salem’s love of booza remained which led him to start researching how to replicate this childhood favorite. Besides needing mastic which he now gets dried from a wholesaler, he also needed a special machine as the thick texture of the ice cream won’t work in a normal machine. After finding the perfect ice cream machine and a pasteurizer, the rest is history! He began selling booza at the Alif Institute which is a nonprofit Arab American cultural center as well as at local cultural festivals and events. The success behind selling booza at these events allowed him to finally open his own establishment which is located in Duluth!
WowBooza is one of the most popular late-night spots around, with a guaranteed line out the door as soon as they open! Everything is homemade right in the shop and you’ll likely see Salem at the ice cream machine or helping out in the kitchen when you visit. As for desserts, the menu is full of tasty treats so the DiG team tried a little bit of everything. First up was the Dubai Chocolate Strawberry Cup, a take on the Dubai chocolate bar that features fresh strawberries, pistachio cream, rich chocolate, and kataifi which is thinly shredded pastry that once cooked, adds a crunchy texture to a dessert! Our first impression of this dessert was that it was the perfect balance of sweetness from the strawberries and richness from the chocolate. The pistachio cream was also both light and truly addictive, especially for pistachio lovers.
After passing around the cup, we then tried their Dubai Triple Chocolate Crêpe which as the name suggests, also features kataifi and pistachio cream as well as three types of chocolate and crushed-up pistachios on top. The crepe itself is truly Instagram-worthy with the intricate design of chocolate varieties on top. Besides its stunning design, the crêpe was perfectly soft and pillowy which paired well with the rich chocolate and pistachio cream. For a bit of a palette cleanser after all of the chocolate, we sipped on their Persian tea which is a loose-leaf black tea that when steeped, has the perfect aromatic and subtle flavor.
Next up on our taste test after a few refreshing cups of Persian tea was the Dubai Chocolate Kunafa. Kunafa is a traditional Arab dessert that uses kataifi and layers of cheese which is then soaked in a syrup solution and topped with pistachios. They sell this version at WowBooza but we tried their Dubai version which omits the cheese and focuses on the pistachio cream and rich chocolate. This was one of our favorites to try because the crispy texture of the kataifi soaked in sugar syrup was incredible!
Last but not least, we had to try the viral Dubai Chocolate Bar. Once you crack open the chocolate bar, you’ll find that it’s stuffed with pistachio cream and kataifi. This might be one of the best ways to experience this flavor combination because everything from the pistachio cream to the texture of the kataifi was unmatched.
Whether you’re stopping by to try their viral sensations or their unique Palestinian-style ice cream, this shop has something for everyone to enjoy! The biggest takeaway that the DiG team had from this experience is that owner Salem truly has a passion and love for his business. He loves showing customers the process behind the stretchy ice cream which makes the experience that much more special. So, the next time you’re in Duluth, be sure to check out this family-owned spot and get there early to snag one of their Dubai-inspired treats before they sell out!
