Dubai chocolate craze fuels pistachio shortage

What began as a viral TikTok video has now left shelves bare and pistachio prices surging. Dubai chocolate, a luxury milk chocolate bar filled with pistachio cream and delicate kataifi pastry, has taken the world by storm. And the nut that gives it its green glow? In dangerously short supply.

Originally crafted by boutique Emirati chocolatier FIX in 2021, the bar exploded in popularity after a TikTok video late last year racked up over 120 million views. Influencers, foodies and retailers scrambled to get in on the craze. Knock-off versions from Lindt, Läderach and even British supermarkets like Morrisons followed fast.

But with fame came pressure. Pistachio kernels — the shelled green nuts used in these bars — are now scarce. According to industry expert Giles Hacking from CG Hacking, the price per pound has jumped from $7.95 to $10.30 in just a year. “The pistachio world is basically tapped out at the moment,” he told the Financial Times.

A poor U.S. harvest in 2023 had already tightened supply. American growers produced higher-quality nuts, which are sold whole and shelled — leaving fewer of the cheaper, shelled kernels for manufacturers. Iran, the world’s second-largest producer, has been shipping more pistachios to the UAE, with exports jumping 40% in six months. That’s helped feed demand in Dubai, but left other buyers short.

The result? Long queues outside chocolate shops, rationing in some stores, and a spike in prices that’s rattling supply chains well beyond the Gulf. In Germany, people have lined up outside Lindt boutiques for a chance at limited edition Dubai bars.

“This came out of nowhere,” said Charles Jandreau of the Prestat Group. “Suddenly you see it in every corner shop.”

The world’s sweet tooth has spoken. But the cost of viral delight is now being measured in nuts — and rising fast.

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