South American flavours have a way of arriving everywhere at once. The smoky char of an Argentine grill, the corn-flour comfort of a Venezuelan arepa, the sticky pull of dulce de leche between two biscuits; these are suddenly the dishes turning up on menus all over Bahrain. Diners here are clearly hungry for it, and the number of restaurants serving this cuisine has multiplied across the island in the last few years.
The appetite for South American food that Bahrain residents are showing isn’t accidental. There’s an obvious flavour overlap with what we already love here: charred meat over open flame, soft flatbreads built for filling, sweet-savoury sauces, generous communal plates. Most of these dishes are naturally gluten-free, easy to make halal, heavy on plantain, corn, beans and grilled protein. They translate beautifully to a Bahraini dinner table without any of the awkward substitutions other cuisines demand.
If you want to cook the moment rather than wait for it to arrive on a menu near you, three classics handle the home kitchen beautifully.
Venezuelan Reina Pepiada Arepas
Mix two cups of pre-cooked white cornmeal (look for P.A.N. brand at most Bahraini supermarkets) with two and a half cups of warm water and a pinch of salt. Rest the dough for five minutes, shape into thick discs, then pan-fry in a little oil until golden and crisp. Split, stuff with shredded chicken mashed into ripe avocado and a squeeze of lime.
Argentine Beef Empanadas
Sauté diced onion with cumin, paprika and a touch of dried oregano, then add minced beef and cook through. Cool completely. Fold spoonfuls into circles of shortcrust pastry, crimp the edges with a fork, and bake at 200 degrees until burnished.
Homemade Dulce De Leche
Submerge an unopened tin of sweetened condensed milk in a deep pot of simmering water for three hours, keeping it fully covered the entire time. Cool completely before opening. Spoon over ice cream, swirl through yoghurt, or sandwich between two shortbread biscuits for a passable alfajor.
Chimichurri Shortcut
Blitz a generous bunch of parsley with garlic, red wine vinegar, dried chilli flakes, oregano and olive oil. Serve over absolutely any grilled meat you already cook.
The single biggest mistake is lumping it all together. Argentine, Venezuelan, Peruvian, Colombian and Brazilian food share an alphabet but speak different languages. London’s Borough Market itself notes that diners are rejecting generic representations of national cuisines in favour of regional restaurants. An arepa is not an empanada. Treat each tradition on its own terms when you cook or order, and the food rewards you generously. Lump it into a pan-Latin blur and everything tastes vaguely the same.
READ MORE: ‘Swicy’ Is the 2026 Flavour Word You’ll Be Using All Summer
Subscribe Now