Flavours of Bahrain

International food blogging sensation Hubert Sepidnam, known as ‘Mr Taster’ among his 3.5 million followers on social media, has waxed eloquent about Bahrain’s warm hospitality and diverse gourmet offerings.

On his third trip and latest tour of the kingdom, the foodie explored the island’s traditional culinary fare and has promised to return for another serving of local flavours.

“Food is a great way to explore the culture of a place. This year, I’ve already visited Afghanistan and Bahrain is my second country,” said the Brit with a wanderlust.

“Travel inspired me to start my food blogging journey.

“Bahrain is a beautiful country and the people here are very warm and welcoming. I remember when I visited the first time, I cried because it was such an emotional experience for me. It felt like I was leaving home and so, I’m thrilled to be back for the third time, and to explore more food.

“I have enjoyed the many diverse culinary experiences here, including authentic Bahraini breakfast at the iconic Haji’s Cafe in Manama Suq, and Bahraini tikka with its nuanced flavour profiles.

“If there’s one dish I would replicate in my kitchen, it would have to be Bahraini kebabs,” he added, pointing to his Arab roots.

“My fondest childhood food memory is tucking into succulent kebab koobideh that my family cooked often.”

Kebab koobideh is a lamb or beef delicacy made with ground meat seasoned with pepper and chopped onions.

Mr Taster is one of the oldest food influencers on the Internet and has been attracting followers since 2005.

On his trip to Afghanistan, he savoured a variety of traditional dishes, including the Kabul version of chainaki, an aromatic meat broth cooked in a clay teapot, and kichiri gosht e land, rice cooked with meat, which he washed down with a can of the locally popular Super Cola – these are the kind of homely experiences that he lives for and loves to share with his fans.

“I’ve tried many cuisines around the world but some of my favourites are Arabic, Afghani and Pakistani,” revealed the 46-year-old who has visited 32 countries so far.

Mr Taster’s culinary adventures have also taken him to Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Iraq, Türkiye, Italy, the US, India, Mexico and Vietnam, among others.

Traipsing along Kuwait’s oldest fish market, scouring Mumbai’s infamous food street Mohammad Ali Road, devouring New York’s popular hotdogs … the gourmand has done it all.

Having a penchant for unique dishes, Mr Taster has also eaten the ‘most extreme taco in the world’, sheep’s head taco, in the US, crocodile meat and balut or duck embryo in Vietnam and a popular Omani dish cooked with dried baby shark.

While the gastronome is big on street food, he also explores high-end culinary delights such as truffles worth 7,000 UAE Dirhams per kilogram during one of his escapades in Dubai, where he currently lives with his wife, Pegah Sepidnam, an avid traveller with a fan following of more than 100,000 on Instagram.

“Food can unite people, which makes it the best language in the world for peace,” added the award-winning food blogger who has more than 25 years’ experience as a digital marketer.

Winner of the Best Personal Brand Award for 2021 organised by the University of Zurich in Switzerland, Mr Taster has been invited to speak at several forums and summits, including the SMXL digital marketing event in Milan in 2016 and The European Search Awards in Iceland in 2014.

“I will definitely be returning to Bahrain soon, a place that has my heart, and it’s my dream to someday bring along Pegah who loves to travel,” he added. “It’s my honour to be invited by the Tourism Ministry to experience all that the island has to offer, especially the Bahrain Food Festival. I’ve had a wonderful time exploring the diverse cuisines, a testament to the mix of cultures on the island.”

Bahrain Food Festival is being staged at Marassi Al Bahrain in Diyar Al Muharraq until February 27.

For more details, follow @mr.taster on Instagram.