The power of internet virality, or more specifically, the power of TikTok virality shouldn’t be something to ignore. That’s why many supply chains are realizing how the craze around single TikTok food has choked the pistachio supply chain of the entire world.
It started in late 2023 with the single video. The food was called Dubai chocolate made by the UAE chocolatier Fix. At this point that single video sparked a trend, garnering close to 127 million views, and it hasn’t stopped there. A chocolate outer shell houses toasted shredded kataifi (a thin strand-like pastry), tahini, and pistachio cream. People went to great lengths to buy the chocolate, which was only available at terminal three of the Dubai airport or through a special app. But those outlets weren’t enough to meet the demand. Other brands started making their own Dubai chocolate. Add in big brands like Läderach and Lindt to make their own versions and home bakers trying their hand at chocolate making, and the world saw a painful pinch for pistachios.
Pistachios are fussy nuts. It is hard to predict a pistachio crop in general, but the fact that pistachios are an alternative bearing nut means that pistachios don’t have consistent annual crop yields. Some years the tree budding will produce a decent amount of pistachio, but the following year will always be a smaller yield. Many agriculture researchers have some methods to reduce the annual production variation, but it still occurs.
Recent years since the Dubai chocolate boom have had to contend with these production variations. The two largest growers of pistachio, the US and Iran, have seen that the pistachio production doesn’t meet the demand, and the price surge shows it.
A simple bag of pistachios has gone from around $7 to over $10. Water shortages and recent international tariffs have also affected the flow of pistachios to make the precious pistachio cream as well. Relief from the shortage hasn’t shown up, so many have gone to alternative nuts. Just like the original chocolate brand, there is a variety of different nutty fillings to experiment with.