Delicious Delicacies Of Bahrain: A Food Lover's Guide

Bahrain is a small island state in the Persian Gulf, which has been influenced by several cultures, including Persian, Sumerian, Assyrian, Babylonian, Portuguese, Arab, and British. As a result, Bahraini cuisine is a blend of flavours and cooking styles from these cultures. The country's indigenous dishes remain intact and preserved, despite the influence of other cultures on the nation's food. So, what food is Bahrain known for?

Bahraini snacks and appetisers

Bahrain's unique geographical location and cultural diversity have greatly influenced its cuisine. Bahraini snacks and appetisers showcase a blend of Arabic, Persian, Indian, Balochi, African, Far Eastern and European flavours. Here is a guide to some of the most popular snacks and appetisers in Bahrain:

Samboosa

A popular Bahraini snack, Samboosa, is similar to samosas found in other parts of the world. It is a deep-fried pastry stuffed with a mixture of meat, onions, and spices, or other fillings like cheese, chicken, or pizza-style ingredients. Samboosa is often served wrapped in chapati bread and paired with hot sauce.

Bahraini Kebabs

Bahraini kebabs are a vegetarian twist on the traditional kebab. They are made with chickpea flour, gram masala spices, eggs, and finely chopped tomatoes and onions. These small bun-shaped fritters are deep-fried to a golden crisp and often enjoyed with sweet and sour tamarind sauce.

Balaleet

Balaleet is a unique sweet and savoury dish, perfect for breakfast or a snack. It consists of vermicelli noodles cooked with sugar, spices, and sometimes saffron, and is typically served with a fried or scrambled egg on top.

Luqimat

Luqimat is a sweet dumpling, popular during Ramadan and served year-round in major restaurants. It is made by frying sweet dough, which is then soaked in syrup or honey and served with sweet or date syrup drizzled on top. Modern variations include stuffing the dumplings with spreads like Nutella, lotus, or pistachio sauce.

Bahraini Breads

Bahrain boasts a variety of delicious breads, including the thin and crispy Almhayawah, often served with sauces, and Qambar, a fried bread made with flour, yeast, and black sesame. Qambar can be enjoyed sweet, with powdered sugar, or savoury, stuffed with spreadable cheese.

Ma'amoul

Ma'amoul are small, filled pastries, commonly enjoyed during festive seasons. They are typically filled with dates, nuts, or figs and paired with Arabic coffee.

Bahraini beverages

Arabic coffee, or qahwah, is the national beverage of Bahrain. It is often served with dates and is considered a part of the traditional welcome in the country.

Karak tea, or chai kark, is another popular drink in Bahrain. This tea mixed with milk is usually served at breakfast.

Laban, a kind of salty buttermilk, is also a typical Bahraini beverage. Other buttermilk-based drinks, yoghurt drinks, and sharbat (sweet drinks) are also common. Sharbat Zafran, a chilled drink infused with saffron, is especially popular. It is believed to have health benefits, such as reducing blood pressure and helping with depression.

Qamar al-Din, an apricot juice, and Jellab, a drink made with grape molasses and rose water, are also traditional Bahraini beverages.

Bahraini desserts

Bahrain has a rich selection of traditional desserts, influenced by its history as a trading hub and its diverse cultural influences. Here are some popular Bahraini desserts:

Mahalabia

Also known as Mahalabiya, Muhalabiya, or Muhallebi, this pudding is made with milk, rice flour, and sugar, flavoured with rose or orange blossom water. It is often served as a layered chia pudding, topped with a caramelized pistachio crumble. This dessert is believed to have been introduced to Arab cuisine in the 7th century by a Persian cook.

Maamoul

Maamoul are small, filled pastries or cookies, often made during festive seasons. The most popular variety is filled with dates, but they can also be filled with nuts, such as pistachios and walnuts, or figs. They are typically served with Arabic coffee and are a common treat during Eid.

Luqaimat

These are dessert dumplings made with flour, sugar, and oil, as well as starch, saffron, cardamom powder, and dry yeast. They are fried and then drenched in date syrup, and sometimes sprinkled with date molasses and sesame seeds. They are especially popular during Ramadan and Eid.

Umm Ali

A creamy pudding made with pastry dough, milk, sugar, nuts, and raisins, Umm Ali is usually eaten warm. It is believed to have originated in Egypt and is said to be named after the mother of Mansur Ali, who plotted to murder Shajar al-Durr, the second wife of the Egyptian Sultan.

Kunafa

Also known as Kanafeh, Knafeh, Kanafa, or Konafi, Kunafa is a traditional Middle Eastern dessert made with vermicelli cheese pastry. The pastry is drenched in a sugar or honey-based syrup and garnished with chopped pistachios. It is popular across the Middle East and is believed to have originated in Palestine, Lebanon, Jordan, Syria, and northern Egypt.

Halwa Showaiter

A traditional Bahraini dessert, Halwa Showaiter is made from cornstarch, ghee, sugar, and various flavourings like saffron and rosewater. It has a dense, jelly-like consistency and is often garnished with nuts. The Showaiter family, who have been making this dessert for over 150 years, are renowned for their Halwa.

Other popular Bahraini desserts include Baklava, Assidat al-Boubar (or Aseeda), and Chebab.

Bahraini bread

Bread has been a staple food in Bahrain for centuries. In the past, barley flour was commonly used in Bahraini bread-making due to its durability and ability to withstand harsh weather conditions. Today, wheat flour is the most common ingredient in traditional Bahraini bread, along with water, salt, and yeast. However, different varieties of bread may use other types of flour, such as barley, corn, or millet, and some may include spices and herbs to enhance the flavour. For example, za'atar, a blend of thyme, sesame seeds, salt, and sumac, is often used in Bahraini bread.

The traditional way of baking bread in Bahrain is in a tandoor oven, a cylindrical clay oven heated by burning wood or charcoal. The dough is slapped onto the oven walls and baked until golden brown. This method of bread-making has been slowly fading away as Bahrain modernises, but there is a revival of interest in preserving these ancient techniques.

• Khubz: This is a traditional flatbread that is circular and cooked in a tandoor oven. It is often served alongside the national dish of Bahrain, machboos (a spiced rice dish with meat or fish).
• Samoon: Samoon is a soft white bread with a slightly sweet taste. It is commonly served with savoury fillings such as cheese, eggs, or meat.
• Regag: Regag is a paper-thin, crispy bread cooked on a griddle. It is often served with sweet or savoury fillings, such as in the sweet breakfast dish balaleet (regag bread with eggs and sugar).
• Maloub: Maloub is a layered bread stuffed with meat, vegetables, and spices.

Bahraini seafood

Seafood is an important part of Bahraini cuisine, with the country's marine environment influencing many dishes. One of the most important ingredients in Bahraini seafood dishes is hamour (grouper), which is typically served grilled, fried, steamed, mashed, or smoked. Other popular local fish include Safi (rabbit fish), Chanad (mackerel), and Sobaity (sea bream). Fish is usually served with rice or, sometimes, French fries, influenced by the English dish of fish and chips.

One popular seafood dish is Emmawash, the sister dish of Machboos, the national dish of Bahrain. Emmawash is made with rice, shrimp, black-eyed peas, mung beans, and lentils. After caramelising onions, the shrimps are cooked, then the beans and spices are added, topped with rice, and boiled together. This dish is especially popular during the first month of the Islamic calendar, Muharram, when locals cook it in large batches and offer portions for free to visitors of the capital, Manama.

Another rice-based dish is Mumawwash, which is rice cooked with green lentils and topped with dry shrimp. A distinctive rice dish is Muhammar, made with local rice, dates or sugar, and always served with fried fish, especially the net fish of Bahrain.

Masli is another rice dish cooked with chicken, meat, fish, or shrimp, with the ingredients cooked directly into the pot. Similarly, Musaly is cooked rice with chicken, meat, fish, or shrimp, with the ingredients cooked directly in the pot to give it a special flavour.

Chillani is boiled white rice with salt and black cloves, usually served with a fried or grilled fish meal or with cinnamon sticks.

Bahrain's seafood dishes also extend to soups and appetizers. A thick soup called Saloon is made with vegetables such as potatoes, tomatoes, okra, and pumpkin, and is added to chicken, meat, fish, or shrimp. It is usually served with white cilantro rice and has a similar taste to Indian masala.

A popular appetiser is Samboosa (or Sambosak), a deep-fried pastry filled with meat, onions, and spices, or vegetables, cheese, or potatoes. It is often eaten wrapped in freshly prepared chapati bread and sprinkled with hot sauce.

Frequently asked questions