The viral popularity of Dubai chocolate on social networks has led to serious consequences in the global nut market. The price of pistachio kernels has sharply increased from $7.65 to $10.30 per 450 grams, daily.afisha.ru reports, citing the Financial Times. There is an acute shortage of this nut on the market, the main producers of which are the United States and Iran.
The situation was complicated by last year’s poor pistachio harvest in the United States. Despite the smaller harvest, its quality turned out to be higher than usual, which led to the fact that most of the pistachios were sold as whole nuts in the shell. This further exacerbated the shortage of kernels, which are used in the production of chocolate products.
Iranian pistachio exports to the UAE increased by 40% between October 2024 and March 2025 compared to the previous 12 months. Leading global chocolate makers such as Läderach and Lindt, which followed Emirati chocolatier Fix in launching their own versions of Dubai chocolate, are now struggling to meet the growing international demand.
Charles Jandreau, CEO of Prestat Group, which runs several premium British chocolate brands, said the sudden demand for the chocolate bars had taken the industry by surprise: “It felt like it came out of nowhere. Suddenly you see it in every shop.”
Dubai chocolate is a sweet with a filling of a mixture of kadayif and pistachios. The product appeared on the market in 2021 and quickly gained popularity among tourists. The first video about Dubai chocolate, published on TikTok in 2023, has gained more than 120 million views.
