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Nadia Ali Abdulrahman is helping to spice up the life of the nation with a range of traditional recipes which have food-lovers eating out of her hands.
Using traditional recipes handed down to her by her elderly mother she now has a thriving business making and selling curry powder, Bahraini traditional spices such as bezar, cardamom as well as traditional coffee powder.
"Since my mother made all the traditional spices in the house and everyone who tasted her cooking would compliment her, I thought to myself - since I spend most of my time in the house anyway - why don't I learn from her and sell the spices to other people," said Ms Abdulrahman.
Bahraini Nadia, 42, from Busaiteen, sells little bags, packets and jars of the spices to allow other families in the kingdom to savour the true flavour of a Bahraini supper-time and to support her family.
The mother of six - four boys and two girls aged between six to 15 years - picked up the secrets of spice-making from her 72-year-old mother, Mooza Hilal Khalid, over several years of studying her techniques.
"I sat with my mum each day and she taught me all the cooking methods and the right ingredients to be used for making spices," Nadia said.
"Now, thanks to my mother, I consider myself an expert in the field and I receive many compliments from my customers and that is what makes them come back to me again and again," she said.
The most popular spice on sale remains bezar - a special mixture of cumin, fennel, cinnamon, coriander, turmeric, peppercorns and dried chilies placed into a frying pan and roasted over a low heat, stirring continuously, until the spices turn golden.
And, Nadia finds nothing bizarre about helping her family to makes ends meet.
"We are living in a very expensive world and the prices of our daily necessities are going up every few months now," she explained. "It is hard for most of us to afford all our daily needs with just one income in the family.
"That is why I decided to help my husband. My monthly takings might not be much, but even a little income is better than nothing."
Nadia is now preparing for a rush of orders as families prepare for traditional ceremonies and religious activities.
She explained: "The month of Ramadan is approaching and this is when I get a lot of orders for my spices because people will be cooking daily traditional dishes."
To help expand her business Nadia joined a micro-finance project six years ago. "I joined it through Awal Women's Society six years ago to get extra cash to help me improve my business," she said. "I started with a BD50 loan and then received a BD300 loan which I have to pay back every month in small installments," she said.
Micro-finance was formed by the United Nations Development Project (UNDP), The Social Development Ministry and Al Ahli United Bank. The project, entitled 'Provisions of Sustainable Micro-Finance Credit and Services to Needy Citizens of Bahrain', aimed at providing small, short-term loans to low-income individuals, especially women.
The project helps scores of talented Bahrainis use their own talents to achieve success but has now closed for new applicants.
l If you would like to add some home-made spices to your life, contact Nadia on 39650063.
