Bahrain is a small island nation located in the Middle East, in the Arabian Gulf, with really hot summers and mild winters. Bahrain’s food culture is shaped by pearl diving heritage, desert, ancient trade routes, and a significant relationship with dates and using glass jars and bottles as go-to containers.
For centuries, families have preserved dates, pickled vegetables, and stored traditional drinks in glass containers to preserve the flavour for the months ahead and withstand the Gulf heat.
In this article, we will explore Bahraini foods, traditionally stored in glass jars and bottles, which are the types of containers that work best, and four recipes you can make at home.
Bahraini Food Culture Before & After Glass Jars and Bottles Became Known
Bahrain's really hot summers and temperate winters have made food preservation traditions a necessity, and these techniques stretch back thousands of years to help Baharna (the indigenous people of Bahrain) survive harsh summers and support long-distance trade.
Before glass jars and bottles, food items such as dates, which are the country's most culturally significant crop, just like in the United Arab Emirates, were pressed into syrup (“dibis,” known as “dibs” in the UAE) and stored in large clay jars. Subsequently, glass containers were used to preserve dibis, pickled vegetables, fish condiments, and herb-infused syrups at peak season.
Basically, glass jars and bottles became the modern continuation of the tradition of using clay jars. And this is because glass containers are non-reactive with the acidic brines used for pickling, the high-sugar syrups used for date preservation, and the vinegar-based condiments which are popular in Bahrain.
Traditional Bahraini Foods Commonly Stored in Glass Jars and Bottles
Date Syrup (Dibis)
Date syrup, known locally as dibis, is one of Bahrain's most important preserved foods. It is made by slowly cooking and pressing dates. Dibis is a sweetener that has been produced in the Gulf for over 5,000 years. It is drizzled over bread, mixed with tahini(a traditional paste made from 100% ground, toasted sesame seeds), stirred into coffee, and used to sweeten desserts like luqaimat and khanfaroosh.
Pickled vegetables
Pickled vegetables such as pickled carrots, turnips, cucumbers, and beetroot are a staple of Bahraini meals. The brine for these pickles is typically vinegar-based with salt, sugar, spices, and ingredients like garlic and bay leaf. These pickles are paired with rich grilled meats, machboos and kebabs.
Desert Truffles (Zubaidi or Fuqa'ah)
Desert truffles, known as fuqa'ah, appear after winter rains across the Arabian Peninsula. In Bahrain, families often chill-clean truffles for short-term storage, freeze them for longer lifespan, and some families preserve them by pickling in 3-6% vinegar and salt.
Rose Water and Herb Syrups
These include rose water (ma'al ward) and saffron syrup, which are bottled in glass bottles for use in desserts, drinks, and traditional coffee ceremonies. Glass protects these delicate aromatic preparations from light degradation far better than plastic.
Bahraini Halwa
Bahraini halwa is a popular traditional sweet made from starch, sugar, oil, nuts, saffron, rose water, and cardamom. The Showaiter family has produced it for over 200 years, and dated vessels in the Bahrain National Museum confirm its deep heritage. Halwa is typically packed into small glass containers for gifting and storage.
Bahraini Wines & Non-Alcoholic Grape Drinks
They include sharbat sweet syrups like rose sharbat and mamrus, a traditional beverage made from date syrup with sesame and almonds. These are stored in bottles and diluted with water or milk before serving. Also, Bahrain's non-Muslim communities and hospitality sector use glass wine bottles and glass bottles for grape-based and fruit-based drinks.
The Type of Traditional Jars and Bottles Used for The Bahraini Food
In Bahrain, the most commonly used glass containers for preserving food include:
● Wide-mouth glass jars for pickled vegetables and preserved truffles, due to the chunky ingredients, to help make packing in and retrieving the vegetables easily.
● Standard glass jam jars and glass bottles are often used for dibis (date syrup), rose water, saffron syrup, condiment sauces and herb-infused oils, where the product is poured rather than scooped.
|
Food/Drinks |
Traditional Preservation Method |
Best Jar/Bottle Type |
|
Date syrup (dibis) |
Dates cooked to thick molasses, hot-filled |
Jam jars, glass jars |
|
Pickled limes (limu makbus) |
Salt-preserved whole limes |
Wide-mouth glass jars, pickle jars |
|
Mixed pickled vegetables |
Vinegar and salt brine |
Wide-mouth glass jars, pickle jars |
|
Desert truffles (fuqa) |
Preserved in oil or light brine |
Wide-mouth glass jars, pickle jars |
|
Rose water (ma'al ward) & other drinks |
Distilled floral water, bottled |
Glass bottles, wine bottles & alcohol bottles |
|
Saffron syrup |
Cooked sugar syrup with saffron |
250ml–500ml glass bottles |
Traditional Bahraini Recipes for Your Glass Jars and Bottles
Bahraini Date Syrup (Dibis) Recipe in Glass Jars
Ingredients
● 1kg fresh dates, any variety, pitted and roughly chopped
● 600ml water
● 1 tsp ground cardamom
● ½ tsp ground cinnamon (optional)
Method
● Place the pitted, chopped dates in a large heavy-based saucepan and cover with the water to soak for an hour.
● Place in a saucepan and simmer gently over a medium to low heat for 15-30 minutes, stirring occasionally and pressing the dates against the sides of the pan to help them break down completely into the liquid.
● Remove from the heat and strain through a fine sieve or cheesecloth, pressing the date pulp firmly to extract as much liquid as possible. Discard the pulp.
● Return the strained date liquid to the saucepan and add the cardamom and cinnamon if using. Simmer over low heat for a further 10-15 minutes, stirring regularly, until the syrup thickens to a consistency similar to treacle and coats the back of a spoon.
● Sterilise your glass jars by washing thoroughly and keep them warm until needed.
● Pour the hot dibis into the sterilised glass jars immediately, seal with tight lids, and leave to cool completely before storing.
● Dibis can last for up to 12 months if unopened and kept in a cool, dark place. Once opened, refrigerate and use within 3 months. Serve as a dip with tahini and flatbread, or drizzle over muhammar (sweet rice) and desserts.
We have a large collection of glass jars and bottles for date syrup available in our collection.
Bahraini Pickled Limes (Limu Makbus) Recipe in Glass Jars
Ingredients
● 10-12 small unwaxed limes, scrubbed clean
● 4 tbsp coarse sea salt
● 1 tsp turmeric powder
● 1 tsp cumin seeds
● ½ tsp chilli flakes (optional)
● Fresh lime juice, enough to top up the jar
Method
● Cut each lime into quarters from the top, leaving the base intact so the lime holds together as one piece.
● Combine the coarse salt, turmeric, cumin seeds, and chilli flakes in a small bowl and mix well.
● Pack the spiced salt mixture into the cuts of each lime, pressing it in firmly so the seasoning coats the flesh thoroughly on all sides.
● Pack the salted limes tightly into a sterilised wide-mouth glass jar, pressing down firmly as you layer them to encourage the limes to begin releasing their juice.
● Squeeze enough fresh lime juice over the packed limes to ensure they are completely submerged in the liquid. Top up with a light brine of water and salt if needed.
● Seal tightly with an airtight lid and leave at room temperature for 4 weeks, shaking gently every few days to redistribute the salt and juices. The limes are ready when the skin has softened completely.
● Pickled limes can last for up to 12 months in a cool, dark place. Once it’s opened, refrigerate it. Use in Bahraini fish dishes, rice, and stews; a small amount adds intense sour-savoury depth.
You can find various sizes and designs of glass pickle jars in our collection.
Bahraini Preserved Desert Truffles in Oil Recipe in Glass Jars
Ingredients
● 300g fresh desert truffles (fuqa), cleaned and sliced into 1cm rounds
● 200ml good-quality olive oil or neutral vegetable oil
● 3 garlic cloves, peeled and lightly crushed
● 1 tsp coarse salt
● ½ tsp black pepper
● 2 sprigs fresh thyme (optional)
Method
● Clean the desert truffles thoroughly by scrubbing under cold running water to remove all dirt and sand. Slice into 1cm rounds and pat completely dry with kitchen paper because any moisture will reduce shelf life.
● Heat a dry frying pan over medium heat and sauté the truffle slices for 3-4 minutes until lightly golden and any remaining moisture has evaporated. Season with salt and pepper during cooking.
● Leave the sautéed truffle slices to cool completely before jarring. This is important to prevent condensation in the oil.
● Layer the cooled truffle slices, garlic cloves, and thyme sprigs evenly in the sterilised glass jars.
● Pour the olive oil over the truffles slowly, tapping the jar gently on the counter to release any air bubbles, and fill to within 1cm of the rim, ensuring all the truffles are fully submerged.
● Seal immediately with tight-fitting lids and refrigerate.
● Preserved truffles in oil can last for up to 3 months refrigerated. Always use a clean, dry spoon to remove truffles and ensure they remain submerged in oil after each use. Use in rice dishes, scrambled eggs, and Bahraini breakfast spreads.
You can find various sizes and designs of wide-mouth glass jars for Bahraini preserved desert truffles in our collection.
Bahraini Saffron and Rose Water Syrup Recipe in Glass Bottles
Ingredients
● 400g caster sugar
● 300ml water
● ½ tsp saffron threads, dissolved in 2 tbsp warm water
● 2 tbsp rose water
● 1 tsp ground cardamom
● Juice of ½ lemon
Method
● Combine the caster sugar and water in a medium saucepan over medium heat, stirring until the sugar dissolves completely. Do not allow the mixture to boil until all the sugar has dissolved.
● Increase the heat and gently boil. Add the saffron water (threads and liquid together), lemon juice, and cardamom, and stir to combine.
● Reduce the heat and simmer for 10-12 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the syrup thickens slightly and turns a deep, warm golden colour from the saffron.
● Remove from the heat and stir in the rose water. Leave to cool for 10 minutes.
● Using a small funnel, pour the warm syrup into sterilised glass bottles, filling to within 1cm of the rim. Seal immediately with tight-fitting caps or stoppers.
● Leave to cool completely before refrigerating or storing in a cool, dark place.
● Saffron and rose water syrup can last for up to 6 months sealed. Once opened, refrigerate and use within 1 month. Dilute with cold or sparkling water for a traditional Bahraini drink, or drizzle over rice pudding, pancakes, and pastries.
You can find various sizes and designs of glass bottles for syrup and drinks in our collection.
Interesting Facts About Bahraini Food and Glass Containers
● Bahrain is home to one of the world's most important date palm heritages: The Bahraini date palm (Phoenix dactylifera) has been cultivated on the island for over 5,000 years, and dibis (date syrup) has been made and stored in sealed vessels for just as long, making it one of the oldest preserved foods in continuous production anywhere in the world.
● Desert truffles (Fuqa'ah) are an Arabian Gulf delicacy with a harvest season of just a few weeks following winter rains, which makes preserving them in oil or brine in glass jars one of the only ways to enjoy them beyond their narrow natural window, and a deeply traditional practice in Bahraini and wider Gulf food culture.
● Pickled limes (limu makbus) are so important to Bahraini cooking that you find them in some form across almost every major Bahraini dish from fish machboos to stewed meats.
● Rose water has been distilled and bottled in Bahrain and across the Gulf for centuries, used in everything from Arabic coffee (gahwah) to desserts and traditional medicine, and stored in glass bottles specifically because glass protects delicate floral aromatics from the heat and effect of light.
● The madbasa, a traditional Bahraini storeroom for storing dates and date syrup, has gradually been replaced by large airtight glass food storage jars in modern Bahraini homes, which is a transition that offers better visibility, easier sterilisation, and indefinite reusability.
● Saffron is one of the most expensive ingredients in Bahraini cooking, used in rice dishes, sweets, and ceremonial drinks, and storing saffron-infused syrups
You can find a full range of glass jars, jam jars, pickle jars, and bottles in our collection for Bahraini food and drinks, as a trusted 30+ years glass jars and bottles supplier in the UK.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is dibis and how is it stored?
Dibis is Bahraini date syrup, a thick, dark, intensely sweet molasses made by cooking dates until they release their liquid, then simmering until thick. It is stored in glass jars with airtight lids and can last for up to 12 months when sealed. It is used as a dip, a sweetener for rice dishes, and a drizzle for desserts.
What are pickled limes (limu makbus) and how long do they take?
Limu makbus are whole limes preserved in coarse salt and spices, packed into wide-mouth glass jars and left to ferment at room temperature for four weeks until the skin softens completely. They are intensely sour and savoury and are used in small amounts to season fish, rice, and stewed meat dishes.
What are desert truffles (Fuqa'ah) and can they be preserved at home?
Desert truffles are wild fungi harvested across the Arabian Gulf after winter rains, prized for their earthy, delicate flavour. They can be preserved at home by sautéing sliced truffles until dry, cooling completely, then packing into sterilised glass jars and covering with olive oil.
What glass jar size is best for Bahraini date syrup?
250ml to 500ml glass jars with tight-fitting lids are the most used size for dibis because they are large enough to hold a useful amount, small enough to use within a reasonable time once opened. Larger sizes of glass jars suit bigger batches for family use or gifting.