Rapid popularity of Dubai chocolate in social media has led to a global pistachio supply crisis, causing a sharp rise in prices and a shortage of this nut. The Financial Times writes about this, reports UNN.
Details
Bars of Dubai chocolate are a combination of pistachio cream, kataifi dough, and milk chocolate. They had rather modest success after their launch in 2021 by the Emirati boutique chocolatier FIX - until a video on TikTok turned them into a global sensation. The clip, published in December 2023, garnered over 120 million views and caused the worldwide popularity of Dubai chocolate, giving rise to numerous fakes.
It is noted that due to the excitement around Dubai chocolate, prices for pistachio kernels jumped in a year from $7.65 per pound to approximately $10.30 per pound.
The pistachio world is currently effectively depleted
Pistachio stocks were already shrinking after last year's poor harvest in the USA, the leading nut exporter.
The U.S. harvest was also of higher quality than usual, leaving fewer cheap unshelled kernels which are usually sold as ingredients for chocolate and other products.
There weren't many offers, so when Dubai chocolate appeared, and chocolatiers bought up all the kernels they could get their hands on... this left the rest of the world in short supply
Iran, the world's second-largest producer, exported 40 percent more pistachios to the UAE in the six months up to March 2025 than in the full 12 months before that, according to Iran customs data.
The Iranian Pistachio Producers Association reported that the shortage is a sharp turn of events compared to 2023, when the global supply of pistachios exceeded demand and led to a drop in prices.
Due to the surplus, various by-products became available, such as pistachio oil and paste, which could be used in a wide range of pistachio-based products. This was around the same time Dubai Chocolate was launched, and gradually it became viral worldwide.
Recall
The Cologne District Court prohibited the Aldi Süd chain from selling chocolate under the name "Dubai", which is produced in Turkey. Only sweets produced directly in Dubai can have such a name.
The leading Swiss chocolate manufacturer will raise prices in 2025.04.03.25, 13:22 • [views_20562]