The 4 sisters’ Trabzon chocolate has become a competitor to Dubai chocolate.

In Trabzon, the hazelnut paste Trabzon chocolate produced by four sisters has become a competitor to the Dubai chocolate, which has recently experienced a surge in demand. The Sungur sisters, who are unable to keep up with the demand for their Trabzon chocolate, for which they have applied for a patent, have also received orders from Dubai, the city after which Dubai chocolate is named.

The four sisters, Seyyare, Sinem, Demet, and Kübra Sungur, who live in Trabzon, established their own brand to increase the value of hazelnuts and continue the family’s three-generation tradition of hazelnut production. By combining hazelnuts with chocolate and opening three branches due to the demand for their chocolates, the Sungur sisters add value to hazelnuts with their self-produced products. Recently, there has been a “crazy” level of demand for Dubai chocolate, which consists of pistachios, vermicelli, and chocolate, and the Sungur sisters did not remain indifferent to this. Producing hazelnut paste Trabzon chocolate at a production center composed entirely of women, they have become unable to meet the increasing demands. In addition to requests from many provinces across Turkey, the Sungur sisters have also received orders from abroad for Trabzon chocolate and have applied for its patent, effectively becoming competitors to Dubai chocolate. Seyyare Sungur, one of the Sungur sisters exporting hazelnut paste to Dubai, stated that they have also received orders for Trabzon chocolate from Dubai.

Seyyare Sungur noted that they established the hazelnut production facility nine years ago to add value to hazelnuts, saying, “Four sisters born into a family that has been involved in hazelnut trade and production for about three generations graduate from different professions. But at the end of the day, we still gather hazelnuts from the same orchard, and we established this brand nine years ago.”

Regarding the Dubai chocolate craze, Sungur said, “Actually, there is a result of popular culture prevalent throughout the world. This is a fact; we must accept this now. Social media has an impact on this. Along with that, the fact that this product, which contains hazelnuts, pistachios, and vermicelli, is entirely made from Turkish products has made it viral under the name Dubai. Everyone started producing related products, including us. Of course, initially, we started making it with hazelnuts from our region rather than pistachios. I see this entirely as a result of popular culture.”

“We named it Trabzon chocolate, and the matter took a different dimension.”

Sungur stated that they applied for a patent for Trabzon chocolate, which they could not keep up with the demand for, saying, “From the moment it was first introduced, there was a question that everyone was thinking about: Why is it called Dubai chocolate? Because the vermicelli is ours, the pistachios are produced in our country; why is it named after Dubai? From the very beginning, of course, as a hazelnut producer and a shop producing hazelnut-related products, we made it with hazelnuts. At that time, our boxes had not yet arrived, and there was no name for it. When everyone entered the shop, they would ask, ‘Is there no Dubai chocolate?’ and I honestly reacted, ‘Why is it called Dubai chocolate?’ After making it with hazelnuts, we, of course, named it ourselves because it is produced here and it is the handiwork of the women here. We named it Trabzon chocolate. After that, the matter took a different dimension. The production of this product entirely belongs to us. The patent for Trabzon chocolate belongs to us; we have completed the applications. Of course, productions will start all over Turkey regarding this. Because there is intense demand. We are the best nation that knows how well hazelnuts go with chocolate. Because we grew up with it. The thing that goes best with chocolate is indeed hazelnuts. Actually, we just observed and experienced this.”

“A woman made Dubai chocolate famous; it has now fallen to a woman entrepreneur to make Trabzon’s chocolate famous.”

Sungur stated that they cannot keep up with the orders, saying, “Actually, hazelnuts and chocolate are very well-known flavors in this region. We just wanted to refresh this. Of course, by adding vermicelli, it became popular with that crunch. A woman made Dubai chocolate famous. It seems that it has fallen to a woman entrepreneur to produce and make Trabzon’s chocolate famous as well. We are receiving very nice reactions; it is very well-liked. As I said, it is a flavor that we already know. Right now, we really cannot keep up with the orders; we cannot answer the phones. There is a lot of intense interest. We thank everyone very much. Due to its name being Trabzon, it is heading towards a transformation that is making a sound worldwide. Trabzon is indeed a brand city. We can see this very clearly, but the hazelnuts we use in it are the pearls of the entire Black Sea and are grown in all our regions. We are using the best hazelnuts grown in all these regions such as Giresun, Ordu, Samsun, Artvin, and Sakarya by blending the hazelnuts we receive from our producers. Our producers are very precious to us. We are glad that they exist. Because adding value to hazelnuts is the most important task for all of us. We wanted to continue this by turning it into a brand. Actually, why shouldn’t there be a Trabzon chocolate against a Dubai chocolate? Why shouldn’t there be a local production? Why shouldn’t there be a local brand? We set off on this path. We are glad we did. People have been waiting for this. It turned out really nice.”

“Selling Trabzon chocolate to Dubai will probably be the first for us.”

Sungur emphasized that they have received orders for Trabzon chocolate from Dubai, the city that gives its name to Dubai chocolate, saying, “We are receiving quite a few orders from abroad. Because there are many Turkish citizens living abroad, and we receive many messages, especially from them. When we solve the issues related to our capacity, we want to produce for all of them. Because our aim is to introduce this to the world. Marketing hazelnuts in a value-added way and branding them is the most important thing. Now that we have gained such momentum, we will communicate this to people in the most accurate and clean way, ensuring their consumption. There will certainly be those who will produce these products, but please let them use the best quality hazelnuts in them. They should think of this as a brand of all of us. When they use the best quality hazelnuts in this product, they will not have the chance to say, ‘How delicious is this?’ Our brand is already selling in Dubai. Our hazelnut creams are sold in Dubai. We have also received orders for chocolate. Selling Trabzon chocolate to Dubai will probably be the first for us.”

“We kept the price reasonable.”

Sungur stated that Dubai chocolate was sold at very high prices when it first came out, while Trabzon chocolate’s price has been kept reasonable, saying, “Actually, since we are directly the producers, we kept the prices at a very reasonable level. Selling a product of this quality, with such a filling, at this price is unfortunately not possible in the market. With this ratio, we were actually aiming for; let the price be accessible to everyone, let it be a quality product, and let it bring a steady profit. We offered people the freedom to buy at this price. Because when Dubai first came out, it started to be sold at very high prices. How can we balance this? Hazelnut is already a product of this region; why should it be sold so expensively here? Being accessible was our goal. I think we have succeeded in this.