Dubai chocolate sold at Costco sparks potential pistachio shortage, reports claim
Dubai chocolate has become the newest trendy craving for those with a sweet tooth.
The sweet and salty dessert originates from the United Arab Emirates (UAE), inspired by a Middle Eastern dessert called knafeh.
The original thick milk chocolate bar is filled with pistachio cream and kataifi, also known as phyllo dough, for a satisfying crunch.
Dubai chocolate has been trending on TikTok as creators share their reviews, including Maria Vehera (@mariavehera257), who posts videos trying the 'best food' in the UAE, according to her bio.
Vehera posted a video in December 2023 of herself trying a Dubai chocolate bar from Fix Dessert Chocolatier, which first launched the product in 2021.
The post went viral, amassing more than 124 million views and nearly seven million likes so far, piquing widespread public interest.
Since then, Dubai chocolate has made its way across the globe and into the States.
Restaurants have offered inspired menu items like Dubai chocolate-covered strawberries, while brands such as Costco are selling Dubai chocolate products.
4 TikTok creator Maria Vehera takes a bite out of Costco's Dubai chocolate during a video from December 2023.
mariavehera257/TikTok
4 The post went viral, amassing more than 124 million views and nearly seven million likes so far, piquing widespread public interest.
mariavehera257/TikTok
Ghirardelli recently announced its limited-time Dubai chocolate sundae at select stores.
As the craze continues, industry experts have warned that it's causing a global pistachio shortage, according to a report from the Financial Times last week.
Giles Hacking, of London-based nut trader CG Hacking, told the publication that pistachio prices have skyrocketed from $7.65 per pound to $10.30 per pound in the last year.
'The pistachio world is basically tapped out at the moment,' Hacking said.
The US is the leading exporter of pistachios globally, but Hacking reported that stocks have been on the decline since a 'disappointing harvest last year.'
The nut quality was also higher than usual, which has driven prices up.
California's pistachio supply fell by up to 20% in the 12 months leading up to February 2025, according to the Administrative Committee For Pistachios.
4 Customers leave with a cart of items from the Costco Wholesale store in Burbank, Calif. on April 10, 2025.
AP
Iran, the world's second-largest pistachio producer, exported 40% more of the nuts to the UAE from September 2024 to March 2025 than it did in the full year prior, according to Iranian customs data, the Financial Times reported.
A previous influx in supply in 2023 caused a variety of pistachio byproducts, like butter, oil and paste, Iran Pistachio Association board member Behrooz Agah told the outlet.
4 A staff member runs a quality check on roasted pistachios in the kitchen of a bakery in Hong Kong on Jan. 18, 2025.
AP
'That was around the same time Dubai chocolate was launched and gradually went viral worldwide,' he said.
Fox News Digital reached out to Fix Dessert Chocolatier and the International Nut & Dried Fruit Council for comment.
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