Halwa Showaiter

Showaiter family, based in Muharaq, are in the sweets business for over 150 years. Halwa is one of their flagship products and undoubtedly the best in Bahrain, if not the region. Golden, Red, Green… with cashew, almonds… it comes in many flavours and colours. While I visited their factory in Muharaq, two pans were in burning fire in the making of Royal Halwa and Red Halwa. The photos are mostly of the former, which is also known as Halwa Malaiki.

Let’s take a tour around their factory and the magnificent shop-the Hussain Mohd. Showaiter Sweets.

Smoke arising from the bubbling halwa-to-be is a good sign that all is going well. However, one has to be following the process so keenly or the right point be missed.

Long spatula with rounded tips are used to scramble the ingredients incessantly-the key to a perfect product. Better if done with a smile…

Additional ingredients are added as the process progresses…

And the time comes to see if everything goes as it should. Nothing more than a test would suffice…

Once the desired consistency is reached, the contents are scooped on to another pan swiftly.

Pans are filled with halwa awaiting to be taken out…

The pans are moved to the shop for filling up containers which are then packed. The pack itself carries views of Bahrain and would make a wonderful souvenir for a gift.

Even better than the souvenir is the heavenly halwa (Halwa Malaiki or Royal Halwa) inside the pack that leaves an unforgettable sensation in ones’ palate lasting for a long time. Perfect with a cup of gahwa.

Thanks to one man and his relentlessly hardworking team who make all this possible… The design of the shop was also done by Mr. Mohd Al-Ghareeb himself – a great business person and an artist.

After the tour, we spent some time in his office. The hospitality was, indeed, sweeter than the halwa and warmer than the sulaimani.

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25 thoughts on “Halwa Showaiter”

  3. Great Photo Sheen… Instead of manual stirring, they should devise an electrical stirrer… More you stir , better will be the taste…..

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  6. Thankyou Sheen for sharing those wonderful moments you have spent in the Halwa shop. And I bet atleast some of us have plans to make a visit to this shop.

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  10. Great post sheen. Though I know this shop never had the chance to go to the place where they make these stuff. You mentioned he is an artist, in what category he is artistically talented, could have included some details of his art…

    I understand that you are interested in documenary photography which i like too, why dont we do some projects in the future. Let me know

    Thanks
    Saji

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  13. The crisp white of his heavy dress is in severe contrast to the heat and fumes from the halwa cauldron.
    Halwa is a turkish word. I guess the origins of the halwa street of Kozhikode is connected to Arabia and Turkey.
    Is the halwa rubbery ? I guess that a good halwa should be playful as rubber. Is coconut (copra dried inside the nut) one of the ingredients ?
    Is halwa popular throughout the Gulf ? I haven’t seen it much in the goodies bags brought by our relatives in the Gulf. They bring dry fruits, nuts, chocolates etc.

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