Coffee Table Book

How did Bahrain’s “drinks culture” evolve from thirst quenching to remedial? Why was the demand for medicinal drinks so popular only to become so limited later? How did the people of this small island quench their thirst and alleviate their aches and pains using these drinks? How were these drinks administered as remedies? Who were the healers? These questions, and many more, are answered in the expertly researched and presented ‘Healthy Drinks of Bahrain’ coffee table book.

The author had learnt a lot about the natural habitat of Bahrain and closely inspected its plants. She had met specialists in the field and visited stores and old shops that specialize in herbal and traditional remedies. Along the way, she noticed that the culture of Bahrain’s traditional, healthy drinks and the natural environment that made them possible were fading away because of inadequate protection. The herbal shops that were owned by vendors for decades had been replaced with new and inexperienced vendors who provide quick and secret recipes that are hard to understand – unlike the olden days where people were engulfed with strong aromas as soon as they entered the Hawwaj (local name for the herb vendor).