The Special Delights of Bahraini Cuisine

Located near the western shores of the Persian Gulf, Bahrain, officially known as the kingdom of Bahrain, is a small island country. Once the center of the Dilmun civilization, Bahrain is one of the first country to adopt the religion of Islam. Originally ruled by the Arabs, Bahrain was captured by the Portuguese, the Persian emperors, the Al Khalifa royal family and the British. Bahrain gained independence in 1971, but unrests between the Shia and Sunni population has created peace issues for the otherwise highly economically prosperous nation.

Agriculture is not much practiced in the lands of Bahrain due to shortage in land space, so most of the food items need to be imported. Dates, tomatoes, mangoes, citrus fruits, bananas are the main crops. Fishes are very popular in Bahrain, whether smoked or grilled; and Habur, Sufi, Chanad, etc are quite well known for their taste. Mostly the dishes containing fishes are consumed with rice.

Some of the delicacies of the Bahraini cuisines are as follows:-

Qoozi

Also known as the Ghoozi, it is a traditional dish which contains rice, boiled eggs, onion, spices and lamb. The lamb is at first grilled with spices and then it is stuffed with rice, onions, spices and eggs to satiate taste buds. Qoozi has been the favorite of the rulers of the Al Khalifa dynasty and so with the masses. The lamb is grilled at controlled temperature with selected spices and oil that lend a beautiful aroma and great taste to this dish. So if you are planning to visit Bahrain, whether for work or pleasure, don’t forget to try this wonderful traditional dish.

 
Khubz with Mahyawa sauce

The traditional Bahraini large flatbread baked in a special type of oven is called as Khubz. Mahyawa is a very popular fish from the Persian Gulf. A unique sauce is prepared from the fish with addition of oils and spices to the fish and is served with Khubz.

Beverages

The traditional welcome drink of Bahrain is coffee which is served in a special pot called dalla. Bahraini coffee is very famous for its characteristic taste and method of preparation.

Desserts

Halwa Bahraini is the tastiest of the desserts and is prepared with corn starch and nuts. The jelly like texture of this dish makes it so popular not only among the locals but also among the foreign tourists.