Dubai chocolate trend leaves Swiss chocolatiers competing for pistachios 

Dubai chocolate was created in 2021 by British-Egyptian entrepreneur Sarah Hamouda, the founder of Dubai-based FIX Dessert Chocolatier. The chocolate filled with pistachio cream, tahini and kadayif (crispy pastry threads often used in oriental desserts) went viral on TikTok in December 2023 thanks to a video External linkposted by influencer Maria Vehera.  

The popularity of Hamouda’s creation prompted chocolate makers worldwide to come up with their own versions of Dubai chocolate, prompting a run on one raw ingredient: pistachios.  

The price of pistachios reached a high of $27.81 (CHF22.80) per kilogram in 2024 compared to $17 in 2022. Dubai chocolate was branded as a luxury treat, and Swiss chocolate makers latched on the trend, launching their own versions.   

Last November, chocolate firm Lindt & Sprüngli announced it was releasing a very limited batch of 500 Dubai chocolate bars at its chocolate museum in Kilchberg near Zurich. Priced at CHF14.95 ($18.20), each handmade 150g bar came with a certificate of authenticity and contained almost 65 pistachios, or 24% by weight. This compares with just under four pistachios or 1.3% by weight for a Lindt Creation Pistachio Delight chocolate bar.  

A long queue formed for a chance to buy the artisanal pistachio cream-filled bars.  A week earlier, a similar limited release was launched in German cities with some of the coveted bars ending up for sale online for as much as CHF400 each. What first seemed like a publicity stunt ended up with a longer shelf life thanks to the response from chocolate lovers. The one-off Lindt Dubai chocolate soon became available in select Lindt stores at the end of November 2024.  

The next step was the mass market: in March Lindt & Sprüngli announced it had developed a Lindt Dubai Style Chocolate that would be sold online and in supermarkets for CHF9.95. The 145g bar contains about 30 pistachios, or 13% by weight.  

“The overwhelming success of the flavour has prompted the Group to develop the Lindt Dubai Style Chocolate with a similar recipe for roll out in wholesale,” stated the firm’s financial report for 2024.  

Rising demand for pistachios

Swiss chocolatier Läderach also launched its own version, called FrischSchoggi Dubai, last December in select Swiss stores with customers limited to one 100g tablet a day.  

The company was already making chocolate with pistachios, but its foray into Dubai chocolate bumped up its sourcing of the nut with each bar containing about 25 pistachios, or 15% by weight. 

“The success of our FrischSchoggi Dubai has meant that we now have to purchase around 50% more pistachios than before the trend began. Thanks to our established supplier relationships, this has not been a problem so far,” says spokesperson Matthias Goldbeck.  

When contacted, Lindt & Sprüngli did not want to reveal if it was facing difficulties in sourcing pistachios. However, the company acknowledged it was keeping a close eye on the market. 

“We cannot disclose any precise information about our pistachio sourcing. We can only state that we have a forward-looking purchasing strategy and continuously monitor the market situation,” a company spokesperson said.  

What is clear is that the quantity of pistachios entering Switzerland has been increasing.  

Even companies that don’t have Dubai chocolate in their portfolio are feeling the pinch. Nestlé, whose chocolate brands Damak and Cailler contain pistachios, has been affected. The pistachios used in Nestlé’s Damak chocolate bars are sourced from the Gaziantep region of Turkey. 

“We have also felt the impact of the Dubai chocolate trend on pistachio supply. However, we are able to procure enough products thanks to our direct pistachio-purchasing model from the marketplace, a strong safety stock policy, and an alternative supplier network,” said a spokesperson.  

Pistachio suppliers are feeling the Dubai chocolate effect too. When contacted, the International Nut and Dried Fruit Council (INC) confirmed that Dubai chocolate had had an effect on global supply chains. The pistachios roundtable discussion held during the recent INC Congress in Palma de Mallorca in May confirmed that the Dubai chocolate trend had significantly boosted global demand for pistachios, particularly in value-added forms such as kernels that are used in confectionery.  

“Industry leaders noted that this viral moment not only boosted domestic consumption but also created ripple effects across global supply chains, contributing to tighter availability and higher prices,” said an INC spokesperson. “Processors and growers are now adapting to this surge by reallocating more in-shell product toward kernel production to meet evolving consumer demand.”  

Edited by Virginie Mangin/ts