Australia & New Zealand Emerging Food Trend: PISTACHIO

Pistachio is quickly becoming the flavour of the moment, thanks to Dubai Chocolate that took social media by storm. What started in the UAE has now sparked a global trend, with major brands and supermarkets racing to join the pistachio craze. Here’s how it all began – and why you should expect to see it take off in a supermarket near you.

The first iteration of the ‘Dubai Chocolate’ was sold by the FIX chocolatier in the UAE in 2022. Originally called ‘Can’t Get Knafeh of It,’ the Dubai Chocolate is a milk chocolate bar filled with knafeh pastry, coated in pistachio cream and tahini.

The Dubai Chocolate was first introduced to the general public by TikToker, Maria Vehera in December 2023. Her initial video amassed over 125 million views. People were desperate to get their hands on it, which led chocolatiers around the world introducing it as a limited-time offer. Major brands like Lindt also began producing their own version of it.

The worldwide popularity of the Dubai Chocolate has also led to increasing demand for other pistachio products. According to Google Trends, searches for “pistachio” began rising in 2022, with a big spike in late 2023 that has continued to grow. The immense popularity even caused a global pistachio shortage earlier this year due to high demand.

We have also begun to see this trend emerging in ANZ. Australia now ranks 4th globally in search interest for “pistachio.” Supermarkets like ALDI and Woolworths have launched several new pistachio products, including pistachio nut butters (both smooth and crunchy) and protein bars. Brands like Pistachio Papi and Carman’s have released pistachio-flavoured protein bars. Additionally, there are other versions of Dubai Chocolate available—HUGOS, for example, has introduced bite-sized pistachio chocolate bombs as a limited-time offer. The trend is also beginning to take hold in New Zealand, with Pak’nSave introducing the “Elit: The Taste of Dubai” chocolate bar.

This trend is only just beginning to gain momentum in ANZ, and it’s likely to grow even further in the coming months. Keep an eye out for new pistachio-inspired products on your next shopping trip—you might just discover a new favourite.