Global Pistachio Shortage Due to a Bizarre Trend

In 2023, luxury chocolate from Dubai called "Can't Get Knafeh of It," composed of milk chocolate, pistachio cream, and kadaif pastry, went viral on social media, especially on TikTok. The original video received over 120 million views, leading to an unprecedented global demand for pistachios. 

The growing demand for Dubai chocolate caused a sharp increase in pistachio prices worldwide, exacerbated by a low yield in the U.S., the world's largest pistachio exporter, which opted to sell the nuts with shells, reducing the availability of the kernels needed for chocolate production. 

Last month, pistachio exports to the UAE increased by 40%, but even the second largest producer in the world - Iran, cannot keep up with the demand. 

How does this affect the market? The baklava industry, for example, which relies entirely on pistachios, had to significantly reduce baklava production or import lower quality pistachios. 

In international brands producing pistachio chocolates, many stores are limiting the quantity of purchase per customer due to the severe shortage. 

To meet the demand, small and medium manufacturers around the world have started producing their own versions of pistachio chocolate, leading to further demand for pistachios. However, the shortage persists, and prices continue to rise. No one knows how this will end, but it's certain that social networks have considerable power over the global market, as evidenced by this situation.