You’ve seen it everywhere this year- lattes, Instagram, chocolate, billboards, cakes. This humble green nut has weaseled its way into every viral sweet recipe and taken the dessert world by storm. How did pistachios, which have been around ages, experience such a grand resurgence in 2025?

A Little History

The pistachio, which comes from the cashew family, has been growing in the Middle East for thousands of years. Through the turmoil of history, knowledge of this nut spread to Europe and it became a luxurious ingredient used in various baked goods. After World War II, the pistachio found a new home in America, where a botanist by the name of William E. Whitehouse experimented with nuts he collected from a trip to Iran.  It was in California that the pistachio industry grew and transformed it from being a rare delicacy to an everyday snack. Today, three countries produce 90% of the world’s pistachio: in first and second place, the USA and Iran (nearly tied), followed by China at a distance.

Italy has always had a special affinity for pistachios. Pistachios trees are thought to have been first planted in Sicily towards the 9^th Century, when the island was under Arab rule. Production blossomed in the area around Bronte, near Mount Etna. The rich volcanic soil imparted the pistachios with a truly unique sweetness and intensity – so much so that in 2009, the European Union awarded the humble nut with a much-coveted DOP certification.

While Sicilian pistachios only account for a couple of percents of the world’s production, their impact on Italy’s cuisine and pastry traditions has been profound – what would Italy be without Mortadella with Pistachios, or Pistachio Gelato?

Why is it back?

In contrast, pistachios in America have always been an afterthought for consumers. Packaged with a catchy, familiar jingle (“Get Cracking!”) and enjoyed with the same likes as sunflower seeds or peanuts, they weren’t in the spotlight in any way except maybe for that one Superbowl ad. The sweet and cheerfully green nut was only ever seen as a snacking item, never as an ingredient.

However, it all changed in December of 2023, when a TikTok influencer by the user @mariavehera257 posted a video of her eating the original Dubai Chocolate Bar. Made by Sarah Hamouda (founder of FIX Dessert Chocolatier), it was called “Can’t Get Knafeh of It”, and it quickly went viral. As of Oct. 2025, the video garnered over 140 million views and the effect it had on the pistachio industry was exponentially explosive.

Within weeks, the newly dubbed “Dubai Chocolate” made headlines, inspired copycats, and created a whole new craze for pistachios. While other chocolatiers and companies were figuring out how to hop on the Dubai Chocolate hype-train, pastry chefs were thinking of new chocolate & pistachio baked goods (which didn’t prove to be very hard). On the other side of the industry, baristas were scrambling to create pistachio flavored drinks and Shake Shack even introduced a limited-time Dubai Chocolate shake.

2025: Year of the Pistachio

In the initial stages of 2024, pistachios were synonymous with chocolate and sometimes, even the word Dubai. However, as time went on and industries shifted, people realized what they were missing out on: pistachio is great on its own! The uniquely addictive taste and texture of pistachios paved the way to popularizing pistachio spreads, crème, butter, pasta, flour, and more.

That brings us to the present year, where pistachios have cemented themselves in the unofficial food hall of fame. With a global pistachio production increase of 9.1%, reported by the International Nut and Dried Fruit Council, pistachio-related products have been flying off the shelves across retailers worldwide. While one of its best pairings is chocolate, consumers have learned to appreciate the nut by itself.

Musco Food Joins the Pistachio Party!

While we already import a few pistachio products (like pistachio-filled croissants and pistachio roll cakes), we’ve been working hard to bring four new, delicious, chocolate-y additions to the pistachio party! Two products are from Terra Sicilae, based in Sicily: a Dubai Chocolate Bar and a Dubai Chocolate Cream.

We tried dozens of brands of Dubai Chocolate Bars before settling on this one – many bars had overly sweet, waxy chocolate and lacked true pistachio flavor. The one from Terra Siciliae blew us away thanks to its rich dark chocolate, buttery, nutty pistachios, and irresistibly crispy kadaifi. Their Dubai chocolate cream (which is actually a pistachio cream filled with those crispy bits) seduced the whole buying team with its addictive texture and full-flavored pistachio aroma.

And because we know this pistachio trend is here to stay, we’ve rolled out new items under our brand Vantia. With the introduction of our Pistachio Spread Squeeze Bottle, you can easily add the creamy, rich pistachio goodness to anything your heart desires. And for those who yearn for something more savory, look no further than our new Pistachio Pesto. Made with 60% pistachios and Sicilian sea salt, this striking green pesto makes a delicious addition to pizzas, pastas and sandwiches (try it with Mortadella and Burrata).