Halva (also halvah, halwa, halua,
Etymology
The word
halva entered the English language between 1840 and 1850 from Romanian, which came from , itself ultimately derived from , a sweet confection.
[ Halvah , Random House Dictionary, 2009] The root in , means "sweet".
The Persian name for the confection is , meaning "oil food".
History
The ancestors of what is now halwa originated in Persia (modern day
Iran).
By the 9th century, the term was applied to numerous kinds of sweets, including the now-familiar sweetened cooked semolina or flour paste.
The first recipes of halva were documented in the 13th century Arabic cookbook Kitab al-Tabikh ( The Book of Dishes), as well as an anonymous cookbook from 13th-century Al-Andalus. Halva was adopted by the Ottoman Turks, including a sesame-based version, and spread throughout their empire.
Types
Most types of halva are relatively dense confections sweetened with sugar or
honey.
Their textures, however, vary. For example,
semolina-based halva's texture can be like a very buttery, moist clumpy couscous
to something gelatinous and translucent, while sesame-based halva is drier and more crumbly.
Grain-based halva
Grain-based halva is made by toasting flour or cornstarch in oil, mixing it into a
roux, and then cooking it with a sugary syrup. Corn is rarely used.
Dishes made from wheat semolina include Suji ka Halva in India, Pakistan, Shujir Halua in Bangladesh and irmik helvası in Turkey. In both dishes, semolina is toasted in fat, either oil or butter, and then mixed with water or milk and sugar to achieve the desired flavor and consistency.
Sesame
Sesame halva is popular in the Balkans,
Poland, the Middle East, and other areas surrounding the Mediterranean Sea.
The primary ingredients in this confection are sesame butter or paste (tahini), and sugar, glucose or honey.
Sunflower
Sunflower halva is popular in the countries of the former Soviet Union as well as in
Bulgaria and
Romania.
It is made of roasted ground
instead of sesame. It may include other ingredients, such as nuts, cocoa powder, or vanilla.
[ ][ ] In 1996 around 4–5 thousand tonnes of sunflower halva were being produced by Ukraine annually.
Peanuts
In Argentina, Greek immigrants at the beginning of the 20th century created a kind of halva called
mantecol from peanut butter, currently marketed under the name of Mantecol and also Nucrem. Such a product is widely consumed in the country.
Carrots
Gajar ka halwa, or gajorer halua, is a popular halva in India, Pakistan and Bangladesh. It is made by slow-cooking grated carrots with milk, sugar, and ghee (clarified butter), often flavored with cardamom and garnished with nuts such as almonds, pistachios, or cashews. Sometimes, khoya (reduced milk solids) or condensed milk is added to enhance its richness and flavor.
Other
Floss halva
Pişmaniye (
Turkish language) or
floss halva is a traditional sweet, prepared in
Kocaeli Province, Turkey, made by flossing thin strands of halva into a light confection. Made primarily of wheat flour and sugar, the strands are continuously wrapped into a ball shape and then compressed. The result is a halva with a light consistency, similar to
cotton candy. Floss halva can be found in regular and pistachio flavors, and there are brands with
halal or
kosher certifications.
In Chinese cuisine, a floss-like candy similar to pişmaniye or pashmak halva, known as dragon beard candy, is eaten as a snack or dessert.
A raw version of halva also has become popular among proponents of raw food diets. In this version, a mixture of raw sesame tahini, raw almonds, raw agave nectar and salt are blended together and frozen to firm.
Cultural and national variations
Azerbaijan
One regional variant is from Sheki where
Sheki Halva halva refers to a layered
bakhlava style pastry filled with spiced-nut mix and topped by crisscrossed patterns of a red syrup made from saffron, dried carrot and beetroot.
Greece
Halva is a traditional fasting food among Greek Orthodox who traditionally have food restrictions, especially from meat, on Wednesdays and Fridays throughout the year, for all of
Great Lent and other fasting periods.
India
India has many types of halva, some unique to particular regions of the country. It is one of the popular sweets of India usually made from semolina.
The town of Bhatkal in Karavali is famous for its unique banana halwa which is infused with either whole cashews, pistachio or almonds. This type of authentic halwa is a specialty of the Muslims of this town. The Udupi cuisine has halwa made from banana, wheat, ashgourd, and jackfuit.
It is speculated that halva (or halwa) is associated with Indian traditions and culture. Written records of sweets from Manasollasa mention a sweet called shali-anna, a type of semolina halwa which is today known as kesari bat in South India.
Tirunelveli in Tamil Nadu is known for its wheat halwa. Its preparation is a laborious process that "is slowly seeing this sweet disappear." Unlike other sweets, the extra ghee is not drained out but forms an outer layer. This increases the shelf life of the halwa. Locals attribute the unique taste of the halwa to the water of the Thamirabarani.
Iran
In
Iran,
halva () usually refers to a related confection made from wheat flour and butter and flavored with
saffron and
rose water.
The final product has a yellow, brown, or dark brown color. The halva is spread thin on a plate and left until it dries into a paste. Halva usually is served at wedding celebrations, religious ceremonies and funerals.
Halva ardeh is the Iranian term for tahini-based halva, and may or may not include whole pistachios. Ardeh is processed sesame in the form of paste, usually sweetened with syrup.
Israel
Tahini halvah () is very popular in Israel and among Jews in the diaspora.
Israeli halvah is made from
sesame tahini and sugar. It is generally sold in slabs, with or without nuts. Vanilla, or vanilla with chocolate swirls are perhaps the most common, but there are many different varieties. Halvah is
parve. It is often served as a breakfast component at Israeli hotels, and even used in specialty ice cream.
Myanmar (Burma)
In
Myanmar (Burma),
halawa (ဟလဝါ) generally refers to
Pathein halawa (ပုသိမ်ဟလဝါ), a Burmese confection or
mont made with glutinous rice flour,
rice flour, milk, and coconut shavings originating from the
Irrawaddy delta town of
Pathein. Another popular
semolina-based confection, which is known as sooji halawa in India, is called
sanwin makin in Myanmar.
Turkey
In
Turkey halva is served for special occasions such as births, circumcisions, weddings and religious gatherings. The tradition is for semolina halva to be served at funerals, when someone leaves or returns from
Hajj, and during
Sawm.
For this reason, flour ( un) halva is also called in Turkish ölü helvası, meaning "halva of the dead". The expression "roasting halva for someone" suggests that the person referred to has died.
United States
Halva can be found in ethnic Indian, Jewish,
Arab, Persian, Greek, Balkan community stores and delicatessens as well as natural food stores. Besides being imported, it is manufactured in the United States, with the largest producer being Brooklyn-originated
Joyva.
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See also
