TikTok food trend sparks global shortage of this common ingredient

TikTok has become a hub for food lovers - we get our recipes there, our restaurant recommendations, and it opens us up to a world of flavours and ingredients we never would've considered otherwise.

The problem is, when word gets out on TikTok, don't expect to find what you're looking for on supermarket shelves, because people have likely been queuing up since 4am to get ahead of you.

But what happens when viral food popularity goes too far?

Well, that's what we're experiencing right now, because there's now a global shortage of one common ingredient thanks to one of the biggest trends of the moment.

There’s an international pistachio shortage because of this TikTok food trend Getty

Dubai chocolate has undoubtably secured its rightful place as the biggest foodie must-have of 2025, and chocolate lovers across the globe are paying over the odds, with bars selling for upwards of $25/£20 each.

The original Deliveroo-only FIX bars launched in Dubai are made up of chocolate, with a crunchy pistachio and kataifi (a type of shredded, fried pastry) centre, and blew up on TikTok after the brand posted a video which has now been viewed over 120 million times.

In fact, it's become so popular that since it took off in the UAE, supermarkets and other chocolate brands across the globe have launched their own versions.

That's a lot of pistachio without taking into account the ice cream, spread, Easter egg, and biscuit variations that have all followed.

So much so that there's now thought to be a global shortage of pistachio kernels, which are most commonly grown in Iran and the US, which already had a poor harvest in 2024.

In one year, prices have risen from $7.95 to $10.30 a pound, Giles Hacking, from nut trader CG Hacking, told the Financial Times.

“The pistachio world is basically tapped out at the moment,” he said.

“There wasn’t much in supply, so when Dubai chocolate comes along, and [chocolatiers] are buying up all the kernels they get their hands on . . . that leaves the rest of the world short.”

Iran has even increased its pistachio exports to the UAE by 40 per cent in the last six months.

However, experts say the longevity of the combination has outlived what would be classed as a 'trend', so we can expect to be seeing a lot more of it in the months to come.

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