A viral TikTok trend for a pistachio-filled chocolate bar dubbed “Dubai chocolate” has caused an international shortage of pistachio kernels, with prices surging and some shops rationing sales. The confection, which features a creamy green pistachio filling, has become hugely popular after a series of videos on the social media platform.
The first clip praising the expensive bar was posted at the end of 2023 and has since been viewed more than 120 million times. According to Giles Hacking of nut trader CG Hacking, prices for pistachio kernels have risen from $7.65 to $10.30 per pound in a year, as reported by the Financial Times.
The shortage has been compounded by a poor harvest in the United States, the world’s leading pistachio exporter. Although the smaller crop was of higher quality, it was largely sold as whole nuts in their shells, leaving fewer kernels available for chocolate production. Iranian producers, meanwhile, exported 40 per cent more nuts to the UAE in the six months to March than in the previous 12 months.
The origins of the craze lie in a bar made by the Emirati chocolatier Fix, which sells only in the UAE. It combines milk chocolate, shredded kataifi pastry and pistachio cream, and is named Can't Get Knafeh of It, a pun on the traditional Arab dessert. Other major chocolate makers, including Laderach and Lindt, have since created their own versions but are struggling to meet international demand.
Charles Jandreau, general manager of Prestat Group, which owns several luxury British chocolate brands, told the Financial Times that the demand had surprised the industry. “It feels like it came out of nowhere,” he said. “Suddenly you see it in every corner shop.” Some retailers have reportedly introduced limits on the number of bars customers can buy at one time.
