Seventy-year-old Mohammed Gharib is sitting in front of a large pot with a thick wooden stick in his hand, stirring a mixture of sugar and other materials to make the traditional Bahraini sweets, which during Ramadan turns into a main dish in the Gulf kingdom.
As steam rises from the red mixture, which is cooked on a strong fire, Gharib selects the different materials from regarding ten pots, and throws them one by one into the large iron pot, then returns to stir the mixture.
Gharib, a sales official in one of the oldest traditional candy manufacturers called “Halwa”: “Bahrain has been distinguished since ancient times by a number of industries, including blacksmithing, weaving and sword-making, but there are few of them left, especially the candy industry.”
Bahrain is famous for its traditional cuisine, which is characterized by popular foods that have been known since ancient times, and are still cooked in many homes. Perhaps the most prominent of these is the traditional sweets that began to be made, according to researchers, regarding two centuries ago.
In the past, it was eaten with tandoori bread to make a hearty meal, but with the development of the method of eating it, it is now served alone on occasions, holidays and celebrations, especially during Ramadan. Some Bahrainis even repeat the saying, “There is no coffee without sweets.”
