Alternative to Dubai chocolate? - Another unusual recipe conquers everyone

An unusual delicacy is gaining popularity on TikTok – dates with butter and salt. This spring, the gastronomic trend reached Moscow restaurants. "Snob" investigated the history of this dish, revealed the secret of its taste, and found out which drinks it pairs best with.

Where the trend for dates with butter came from

In October 2024, TikTok exploded with a video featuring dates stuffed with butter and sprinkled with salt. The clip garnered an impressive 2.6 million views and sparked a wave of imitations among users worldwide. The trend spread particularly actively in the USA in the fall of 2024, and by spring 2025, it reached the Russian audience. The pioneer in Moscow was the Mates chain, already known for introducing Muscovites to flat croissants and Dubai chocolate. The chain's marketing director, Naida Omarova, says that their team strives to quickly respond to all gastronomic trends from social networks.

"I saw many videos with dates and decided to make them at home. Now I literally can't give them up," Omarova admits.

Experts attribute the success of dates with butter and salt to two current gastronomic trends: the revival of interest in butter and the growing popularity of Arabic cuisine. In the US, consumers are reconsidering their attitude toward butter, increasingly noting its beneficial properties instead of focusing on cholesterol content. And interest in Arabic cuisine was largely fueled by the recent boom in Dubai chocolate, notes gastronomic blogger Anna Gamil.

"After Dubai chocolate became fashionable, people began to wonder what other interesting dishes exist in Arabic cuisine," explains Gamil. "And they discovered a rather ancient recipe - dates with butter, which are traditionally consumed to gain energy in arid climates. It turned out that this dish helps not only Middle Eastern residents. Dates with butter are a satisfying snack suitable for both the office and city walks."

There is another reason for this dish's popularity – the pursuit of simplicity, which is gaining strength among Moscow gourmets.

"Some Muscovites are tired of complex gastronomic combinations, and when people sophisticated in gastronomy see something extremely simple - for example, radishes with champagne or dates with butter - they want to try it," notes Anna Gamil. "Moreover, interest in such simple dishes is more often shown by gastronomically experienced restaurant visitors who want a contrast to complex dishes."

What dates with butter taste like

The taste of this dish is simultaneously sweet, fatty, and slightly salty. According to Anna Gamil, this is precisely the secret of its success.

"Many people like sweet flavors but don't like excessive sweetness. Butter with its soft creaminess helps balance the sweetness of dates. And salt is a kind of final chord that unites and under