Bahraini artisans toil to preserve sugar-coated tradition

Workers preparing halwa, a Bahraini sweet made primarily from sugar, corn starch, saffron and nuts at Hussain Showaiter Sweets at the Muharraq island store in northern Bahrain. Photos: Mazen Mahdi/AFP

Bahrainis with a sweet tooth have long been spoiled for choice between a wide array of dessert franchises, but traditional confectioners still hold their ground, especially during Ramadan.

At the back of his modest shop in the capital Manama, Mohammed Gharib stirs a thick mixture of sugar, saffron and freshly blanched almonds, transforming it into a uniquely Bahraini version of the ubiquitous Middle Eastern dessert: halwa.