TikTok’s latest trending food, Dubai Chocolate, has caused an international shortage of one of its major ingredients.
The treat, originally only available in Dubai, became massively popular on TikTok in 2023. It consists of tahini, kataifi pastry, and pistachio cream that gives it its unique green color.
The confection almost immediately took over the app due to its exclusivity, but brands quickly began to offer different ways to get it in the United States. It wasn’t long before Costco began to offer Dubai Chocolate, and dozens of TikTok shop stores began to offer bars and kits to make your own.
The trend first took off after Maria Vehara posted a video biting into the viral chocolate, which she purchased straight from the original creator, Fix Dessert Chocolatier.
Due to its popularity, though, it’s reportedly caused a massive shortage of one of its main ingredients.
Dubai chocolate trend causes pistachio shortage
According to The Guardian, the massively viral Dubai Chocolate trend on TikTok has caused an international shortage of pistachios.
In a year since the trend began, the ingredient has gone from $7.65 to $10.30 a pound. Pistachios are largely grown inside of the United States, and reportedly had a poor harvest in 2024. The crop was smaller than usual, but of higher quality.
Due to this, it was mostly sold as whole nuts, not the kernels used in the viral Dubai Chocolate recipe.
The Guardian added that because of the shortage, some stores are limiting the number of bars sold at one time so everyone has a chance to get their hands on the viral chocolate.
This isn’t the first time a TikTok food trend has caused a national shortage, either. Logan, the ‘Cucumber guy,’ took over the app with his cucumber salad videos in August 2024.
Just days later, Iceland reported that its supermarkets were selling out of the vegetable due to hordes of people coming in to buy the cucumber salad ingredients.
Content shared from www.dexerto.com.