How the success of Dubai chocolate is benefiting Provence

The famous Dubai chocolate has been taking over social media for the past few weeks. This chocolate bar, filled with a smooth pistachio cream and sprinkled with kadaïf (angel hair), quickly went viral, sparking a frenzy in supermarkets. The meteoric success of this dessert from the Arab world, now a TikTok sensation, is driving a pistachio craze to the point of threatening global supplies. A trend that, paradoxically, could benefit Provence, rich in its land and expertise in cultivating this precious nut. In fact, for several years now, farmers in the Var region have been reviving the cultivation of the pistachio tree, a long-forgotten tree but deeply rooted in Provençal soil. Boosted by the viral success of Dubai chocolate, this revival could accelerate much faster than expected.

Thomas Paul and Hugues Chaboud, winemakers based in Brignoles, a town in the Var region, launched Pépistach four years ago. This project aims to reintroduce pistachio cultivation in Provence. Faced with unstable climate conditions (frost, hail, drought, etc.), the two men realized it was no longer possible to rely solely on vines and that it was necessary to diversify their crops. In this context, pistachios shine. Native to the high plateaus of Iran, the pistachio tree has remarkable agronomic advantages: it requires much less water than vines, thrives in light, well-drained soil, enjoys wind for pollination, and resists both drought and winter cold. All these conditions are now met in Provence, offering an ideal environment for its comeback. Additionally, the initiative is supported by the Région Sud, which allocated a €235 million budget between 2022 and 2027. Speaking to France 3, Thomas Paul acknowledges that the current hype around pistachios will eventually fade. However, he believes demand will remain permanently higher than before the Dubai chocolate phenomenon.

The original bar was created in 2022 by Fix Chocolatier, a chocolate shop run by a couple based in Dubai. It was the wife, Sarah Hamouda, who came up with the flavor combination while she was pregnant. The product, which went viral thanks to an ASMR video by TikToker @Maria Vehera, has since taken the world by storm. Countless copies have appeared instantly, and even the Swiss brand Lindt released its own version called “Dubai style chocolate”. "Dubai chocolate has brought attention to a product — pistachio cream — that wasn’t previously seen in this light. In that sense, there’s a before and after," explains Thomas Paul, again to France 3. As climate challenges force farmers to rethink their models, the unexpected success of a simple dessert from the other side of the world shows just how much global trends can shape local realities. In Provence, the pistachio tree seems to have found a new lease on life.