Bahrain, or the Kingdom of Bahrain, its official name is a rather small island state in the Persian Gulf, just north of Qatar. Bahrain is an archipelago of 36 islands located off the eastern coast of Saudi Arabia. The four main islands are joined by causeways.

In Arabic, bahrayn is the dual form of bahr (“sea”), so al-Bahrayn means “the Two Seas”.The official language is Arabic, but English is very widely spoken and is the principal language of commerce. According to the US Department of State Bahrain is one of the most densely populated countries in the world; about 89% of the population lives in the two principal cities of Manama and Al Muharraq. Approximately 66% of the indigenous population is originally from the Arabian Peninsula and Iran.

When looking up the culture at Bahrain Tourism it was very interesting to note that after clicking on the tab “About Bahrain” this is what appeared under the subtitle “Culture”:

The Kingdom of Bahrain is a Muslim country therefore; most of the people are dressed modestly. Bahrain is also considered one of the most modern countries in the GCC and has a mixture of people of different cultures and nationalities.

MEN: When visiting a mosque shorts and sleeveless tops are not allowed. Shoes are also not allowed when you enter the mosque. It is recommended that you talk quietly when you are there.
Traditional Areas: For the central market, clothes can be less formal. You are free to wear anything you like as long as it is respectable.

Malls and Restaurants: Casual clothes are the best choice for such an outing.
Private Homes: When you are invited to an indoor party informal respectable clothes are recommended. Smart casual sounds perfect.

WOMEN: Mosques: Hair, arms and legs must be covered. Loose clothing required. No shoes allowed inside the mosque

Traditional Areas: Souq, villages, central market, and etc.Skirts should be below the knee but long skirts and pants are preferable. Short sleeves to long sleeve tops preferable.
Malls: Seef mall, A’ali mall, Dana mall, Bahrain mall etc. Malls are very crowded areas; people are usually smartly dressed at malls.

This description of the culture of Bahrain, on their tourism site, is both uninformative and telling. It is disconcerting that the only thing they found merit in telling a potential tourist had to do with proper clothing. On a tourism site, which would seem to want to entice visitors, it might be prudent to add a little more detail about the rich history and culture of the country instead of a dress code, which could have been detailed under a tab titled “Visitor’s Guide to Cultural Norms” or something of the sort. The site did list historical locations that warrant a visit and this list gives a more complete picture of Bahrain.

Bahrain is known for oil and pearls and is home to the Bahrain World Trade Center. These are imposing (787 ft) high twin tower complex located in Manama. Bahrain imports many of its food products due to the limited amount of land. The crops produced in Bahrain are dates, bananas, pomegranates, tomatoes and cucumbers. And, because there is little land for grazing animals there is a very limited amount of cattle. However, the location in the Persian Gulf allows for a good deal of fish and shrimp.

Pomegranate juice is quite popular in the United States, but we don’t use pomegranates in many recipes; perhaps the seeds in a salad or the juice to make a vinaigrette. We found a recipe that is a wonderful alternative to hummus and full of flavor. Muhammara makes use of walnuts, pomegranates and roasted red peppers, combined with seasoning, to provide a dip that is delicious served with pita chips or bagel chips. The next time you think of serving hummus, give muhammara a try instead for a savory alternative.

Muhammara Recipe by (Food. People. Want)

Ingredients

1 thick slice whole grain or wheat bread
1 cup walnuts, toasted
3 large roasted red bell peppers
2 cloves garlic, roughly chopped
1 tablespoon pomegranate molasses (Can be purchased, but if you cannot find, see recipe below)
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
1-2 large pinches ground Aleppo chili pepper or a mixture of sweet paprika and cayenne to taste
1 teaspoon table salt, or more to taste
Juice of half a lemon
1/3 cup olive oil

Directions

1. Toast the bread slice in an oven that has been preheated to 350° until it is dry and no longer soft in the middle, about 5-7 minutes. Tear the toasted bread into pieces and pulse in a food processor until you have rough breadcrumbs. You should have close to 1 cup.

2. Place the walnuts on a baking sheet and roast in the same 350° oven until they have taken on some color and begin to smell aromatic, about 5-10 minutes.

3. Place the roasted red peppers, toasted walnuts, breadcrumbs and garlic in the food processor and pulse a few times to just barely combine. Add the pomegranate molasses, cumin, and chili, salt and lemon juice and turn on the processor. Slowly drizzle in the olive oil while the machine is running to emulsify the paste and bring everything together.

4. Taste and adjust for seasoning. Allow the mixture to rest for at least a half an hour before serving.
Pomegranate Molasses (Simply Recipes)

Ingredients

4 cups pomegranate juice
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 cup lemon juice

Directions

1. In a large, uncovered saucepan, heat pomegranate juice, sugar, and lemon juice on medium high until the sugar has dissolved and the juice simmers. Reduce heat just enough to maintain a simmer. Simmer for about an hour, or until the juice has a syrupy consistency, and has reduced to 1 to 1 1/4 cups. Pour out into a jar. Let cool. Store chilled in the refrigerator.

The maps I gazed at during geography class, before the collapse of the Soviet Union looked a lot different than the ones my children use. The USSR was such a huge part of how I viewed the world. The map of my childhood is no longer. Once part of the Soviet Union the Baltic States consider themselves to have resumed their pre–World War II sovereignty upon their separation from the Soviet Union.

And, now there are at least 15 post soviet states in the world. These are 15 independent states that seceded from the USSR and they are known at the FSU (Former Soviet Union) or NIS (Newly Independent States. One of those countries is Azerbaijan and like Armenia (which is a post soviet country) they are located in the Caucasus.

The Caucasus Mountains give the name to the region known as the Caucasus. The mountain range between the Black Sea and the Caspian Sea forms part of the traditional border between Europe and Asia. Azerbaijan is situated in the Southern Caucasus region, bordered by Russia to the north, the Caspian Sea to the east, Iran to the south and Georgia and Armenia to the west. There are approximately 14 countries located in this Caucasus region. One of these countries is Armenia, which we learned about in December.

The major domestic and international issue affecting Azerbaijan is the dispute over Nagorno-Karabakh, a predominantly ethnic Armenian region within Azerbaijan. The current conflict over Nagorno-Karabakh began in 1988. Negotiations to resolve the conflict peacefully have been ongoing since 1992 under the aegis of the Minsk Group of the OSCE. Negotiations have so far failed to produce a permanent peace agreement, and the dispute remains one of post-Soviet Europe’s “frozen conflicts.”

The conflict has roots dating back well over a century into competition between Christian Armenian and Muslim Turkic and Persian influences.The religions of Azerbaijan comprise different religious trends spread among the people and ethnic groups residing in the country. But, more than 90% of the country identifies itself as Muslim. Since Nagorno-Karabakh is predominantly ethnic Armenian it is also predominantly catholic since Armenia was the first country to declare Catholicism as its state religion in 314 AD.

The people of the Caucasus have seen, throughout their history, a lot of hardship, yet, when watching the following video where a young woman is clowning in front of the camera and making kutaby (stuffed pancake) I couldn’t help but laugh with her and note how it is laughter narrows the gaps between cultures and religions.

Note: In the video, after clowning around, the young woman does make the kutaby. She is making a version that I think would be similar to the second recipe in this post (Kutaby with Greens). I found this recipe at Cuisine of Azerbaijan.

Guest Photographer: Radis
ISO Speed: 100
Equipment: Camera: Canon EOS 40D; Lens: EF 16-35/2,8L; EF 50mm f/1.2L USM Flash: Speedlite 580EX II

Kutaby
(Stuffed Pancake)

Stuffing

Ingredients

1 tbs oil for greasing
¼ cup spring onions, minced
2⁄3 cup spinach, chopped
2⁄3 cup sorrel, chopped (if unavailable, use more spinach plus 2 TBS lemon juice)
3 tbs mixed fresh cilantro and dill, minced
1 tbs lavashana (dried sour plum paste/jerky), chopped fine (or lemon juice)
salt and pepper to taste

Directions

Lightly oil a heavy frying pan. Cook the onions for a minute. Add all other ingredients, stirring (without any more added oil) until well wilted. Remove from heat. Add lavashana.
Season to taste.

Pancakes

Ingredients

1 cup flour
¼ tsp salt
1 tbs butter, melted
1 egg, beaten
½ cup water
beaten egg or water for sealing
¼ cup warm ghee for sauce
½ cup matsoni (a fermented milk native to the Caucasus, available from Russian stores; or substitute a thick, sour yogurt or thick buttermilk) for dipping.

Directions

In a food processor, mix flour, salt, butter, egg, and water to make a soft dough.
Remove dough. Knead on a floured surface for 10–15 minutes, or until dough is shiny and elastic. Let rest for 30 minutes.

1. Roll out 1⁄8-inch thick.
2. Cut out disks, about 6–9 inches in diameter.
3. Place filling on one half of the disk.
4. Fold to form a crescent. Seal edges with a bit of beaten egg.
5. Place kutaby on a lightly greased cookie sheet.
6. Brush lightly with ghee.
7. Bake in a preheated 375 F oven, for about 25–30 minutes, or until brown.
8. Arrange in a warmed dish and serve.

If desired, pour remaining warm ghee over kutaby. Pass a bowl of matsoni for dipping.

Kutaby with Greens (Green Crepes)

Domestic or wild herbs comprise the filling in this vegetarian version of a gutab. While the process of folding a circle of dough over the filling is the same, the ingredients vary from region to region, as cooks use the wild herbs that are available. Coriander, chives and parsley are common ingredients; nettle, wild coriander or watercress may also be included. Like many other Azerbaijani dishes, this type of gutab is topped with plain yogurt.
Greens (spinach – 150 g, sorrel – 150 g, spring onions – 50 g, coriander and dills – 15 g); wheat flour – 140 g; butter oil – 20 g; butter – 20 g; lavashana -10 g; egg – 112; matsoni – 50 g; pepper -0.1 g; salt to taste.

Wash the greens, chop coarsely and stew with simmered onions. Add salt, pepper and lavashana and mix thoroughly. Make tight dough with the addition of water, egg and salt. Roll the dough and cut out round pieces. Fold the filling in dough in the shape of a crescent and roast both sides on a dry frying pan.

When serving, pour heated butter over the kutaby. Matsoni is served separately.
Kutaby from Wild-Growing Plants Wild-growing herbs (cheese-flower, shepherd’s purse, ziziphora, white dead nettle, chickweed, etc.) – 400 g; wheat flour – 150 g; butter oil – 20 g; butter -20 g; lavashana -10 g; egg – 1/2; yeasts – 10 g; matsoni – 50 g; pepper and salt to taste.

Sort out the greens, wash, chop and stew in oil. Add salt, pepper and lavashana. Mix thoroughly. Make dough from wheat flour with the addition of water, egg, yeasts and salt. Roll pieces of dough into big round pieces 2 mm thick. Wrap the filling in dough, giving it the shape of a crescent and roast both sides on a dry frying pan. Pour molten butter over the hot kutaby. Matsoni is served separately.