How long does store-bought Dubai chocolate last?

Commercially produced Dubai chocolate is built to sit on a shelf in a way a homemade bar is not: manufacturers control the moisture content of the filling and use a stabilized pistachio cream, which is why a sealed bar carries a best-before date measured in months rather than days.

Follow the date on the pack. Most commercially made bars are dated roughly 3 to 6 months from production. That date assumes an unopened bar kept cool, dry, and out of direct light.

Once opened, the clock speeds up. Aim to finish an opened bar within a week or two. Air is what softens the kataifi (shredded phyllo) strands and stales the nut oils, so reseal the wrapper or move the remainder to an airtight container.

Undated and small-batch bars. Many imported and small-batch bars arrive unwrapped or undated. Treat those as 2 to 3 weeks from purchase at cool room temperature, and judge by texture and smell rather than by a date you do not have.

Texture fades before safety does. The crunch is the first thing to go. A bar that has gone soft and chewy is past its best but generally still fine to eat; a sharp, painty or cardboard smell from the filling means the nut oils have oxidized, and that one should be thrown out.

For homemade bars, the timeline is much shorter and the storage rules differ — see Does Dubai chocolate expire, and how long does it last? for the full breakdown, including how to tell when a bar has turned.