"Mild milk chocolate on the outside, with soft pistachio cream and crunchy, sugar-sweet kadayif strands on the inside to many consumers, Dubai chocolate is the epitome of sweet luxury. Sarah Hamouda, head of the Dubai-based manufacturer Fix Dessert Chocolatier, is credited with inventing the popular confection. With the help of influencers, Hamouda's creation took off on social media, marketed as a new, exclusive food trend that has spanned the globe."
"But the trend has another price: since demand for Dubai chocolate gained momentum in late 2023, global appetite for pistachios has also spiked. In 2024, imports of pistachios (in shell) to the European Union increased by more than a third compared to the year prior, with market value exceeding 1 billion ($1.16 billion) for the first time. Passion for pistachios drains water resources This has consequences for the countries where pistachios are grown."
"The trees thrive in hot, dry climates, where they are increasingly replacing other crops, such as olive trees. In Spain, Europe's largest producer, the areas of pistachio cultivation have increased fivefold since 2017. Pistachios are "an interesting fruit in terms of climate change" and could be "a good climate adaptation" for producers, said Stig Tanzmann, agriculture consultant for Bread for the World, a development organization affiliated with Germany's Protestant churches. But the reality is usually different because the trees require additional irrigation."
Dubai chocolate combines mild milk chocolate, soft pistachio cream and crunchy kadayif strands, and gained rapid popularity after being marketed via influencers and social media. The confection sells at around $8 per 100 grams and inspired numerous homemade recipes. Growing global demand pushed EU pistachio imports up more than a third in 2024, with market value surpassing €1 billion. Pistachio trees prosper in hot, dry climates and are replacing crops like olives, notably in Spain where cultivation areas rose fivefold since 2017. High yields depend on additional irrigation; producing one kilogram of pistachios requires over 10,000 liters of water, creating severe water stress in arid regions.
Read at www.dw.com
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