Halva#Types

{{Short description|Confections often made from nut butters or flours}}

{{Infobox food

| name = Halva

| image = File:PistHalva.jpg

| caption =

| place_of_origin = Persia{{Cite web|last=Foundation|first=Encyclopaedia Iranica|title=Welcome to Encyclopaedia Iranica|url=https://iranicaonline.org/|access-date=2021-04-23|website=iranicaonline.org|language=en-US|quote=The origin of ḥalwā in Persia dates from the pre-Islamic period. References are found in the Middle Persian text of Xōsrōv ud rēdak (ed. Monchi-zadeh, secs. 38-40) to two kinds of sweetmeats (rōγn xwardīg): (1) summer sweetmeats, such as lōzēnag (made with almond), gōzēnag (made with walnut), and čarb-angušt (made from the fat of bustard or gazelle and fried in walnut oil); and (2) winter sweetmeats, such as wafrēnagītabarzad flavored with coriander (gišnīz ačārag). Many references are found to ḥalwā in classical Persian texts, but rarely do they provide details concerning ingredients.}}{{Cite book|last=Marks|first=Gil|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=gFK_yx7Ps7cC&pg=PT1|title=Encyclopedia of Jewish Food|date=2010-11-17|publisher=HMH|isbn=978-0-544-18631-6|language=en|quote=Halva is a dense confection. The original type is grain based, typically made from semolina, and another kind is seed based, notably made from sesame seeds. Origin: Persia}}

| region = Middle East, South Asia, Central Asia, Eastern Europe, Balkans, South Caucasus, North Africa, Horn of Africa

| type = Confectionery, dessert

| served = Cold

| main_ingredient =

| variations =

| calories =

| other =

}}

Halva (also halvah, halwa, halua,{{cite news |last=Clark |first=Melissa |date=March 24, 2004 |title=For Halvah, Use 1/2 Cup Nostalgia |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2004/03/24/dining/for-halvah-use-1-2-cup-nostalgia.html |work=The New York Times |access-date=November 15, 2020}} and other spellings; {{langx|ar| حلوى}}) is a type of confectionery that is widely spread throughout the Middle East and North Africa, Eastern Europe and the Balkans, Central Asia, and South Asia. The name is used for a broad variety of recipes, generally a thick paste made from flour, butter, liquid oil, saffron, rosewater, milk, turmeric powder, and sweetened with sugar.{{cite book

|first=Alan |last=Davidson |author-link=Alan Davidson (food writer)

|title=The Oxford Companion to Food |publisher=Oxford University press

|year=1999 |location=Oxford |pages=378

|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=bIIeBQAAQBAJ&pg=PA378

|isbn=0-19-211579-0}}{{cite book |last1=Sharar |first1=Abdul Halim |title=Lucknow: the last phase of an oriental culture |date=1994 |publisher=Oxford University Press |page=165 |isbn=9780195633757 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=NgcWAQAAMAAJ&q=origin+of+Halva}}{{cite book | last=Hosking | first=R. | title=Food and Language: Proceedings of the Oxford Symposium on Food and Cooking 2009 | publisher=Prospect Books | series=Proceedings of the Oxford Symposium on Food and Cookery Series | year=2010 | isbn=978-1-903018-79-8 | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=3ilvBQAAQBAJ&pg=PT202 | access-date=2022-04-11 | page=202}}{{cite web |url=https://www.chabad.org/recipes/recipe_cdo/aid/4451547/jewish/How-to-Make-Halva-at-Home.htm

|title=How to Make Halva at Home

|first=Miriam|last=Szokovski}}

Etymology

The word halva entered the English language between 1840 and 1850 from Romanian, which came from {{langx|ota|حلوى|helva}}, itself ultimately derived from {{langx|ar|حلوى|ḥalwā}}, a sweet confection.{{cite book |first=Gil |last=Marks |author-link=Gil Marks |year=2010 |title=Encyclopedia of Jewish Food |publisher=HMH |chapter=Halva |isbn=9780544186316 | chapter-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=gFK_yx7Ps7cC&pg=PT772}}[http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/halvah Halvah] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160306131022/http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/halvah |date=March 6, 2016 }}, Random House Dictionary, 2009 The root in {{langx|ar|ح ل و|ḥ-l-w|links=no}}, means "sweet".{{cite web

|title=American Heritage Dictionary

|url=https://ahdictionary.com/word/semitic.html

|access-date=February 21, 2019}} The Persian name for the confection is {{Langx|fa|روغن خورديگ|translit=rōɣæn xordīg}}, meaning "oil food".

History

Halva originated in Persia (modern day Iran).{{Cite web|last=Foundation|first=Encyclopaedia Iranica|title=Welcome to Encyclopaedia Iranica|url=https://iranicaonline.org/|access-date=2021-04-23|website=iranicaonline.org|language=en-US|quote=The origin of ḥalwā in Persia dates from the pre-Islamic period. References are found in the Middle Persian text of Xōsrōv ud rēdak (ed. Monchi-zadeh, secs. 38-40) to two kinds of sweetmeats (rōγn xwardīg): (1) summer sweetmeats, such as lōzēnag (made with almond), gōzēnag (made with walnut), and čarb-angušt (made from the fat of bustard or gazelle and fried in walnut oil); and (2) winter sweetmeats, such as wafrēnagītabarzad flavored with coriander (gišnīz ačārag). Many references are found to ḥalwā in classical Persian texts, but rarely do they provide details concerning ingredients.}}{{Cite book|last=Marks|first=Gil|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=gFK_yx7Ps7cC&pg=PT1|title=Encyclopedia of Jewish Food|date=2010-11-17|publisher=HMH|isbn=978-0-544-18631-6|language=en|quote=Halva is a dense confection. The original type is grain based, typically made from semolina, and another kind is seed based, notably made from sesame seeds. Origin: Persia}} 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.{{Cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/107810326/gerri-kobren-whats-this-stuff-called/|title=What's this stuff called halvah?|date=August 17, 1983|agency=Independent Press Service|first=Gerri|last=Kobren|work=The Herald News (Passaic, New Jersey)|access-date=August 17, 2022|page=C-4|via=Newspapers.com}} Their textures, however, vary. For example, semolina-based halva's texture can be like a very buttery, moist clumpy couscous{{Cite web|url=https://www.vegrecipesofindia.com/sooji-halwa-recipe-rava-sheera/|title = Suji ka Halwa | Sheera Recipe|date = July 3, 2021}} to something gelatinous and translucent, while sesame-based halva is drier and more crumbly.{{cite magazine|last=Shah|first=Khushbu|date=June 8, 2017|title=Halwa vs. Halvah: An Investigation|url=https://www.tastecooking.com/halvah-vs-halwa/|magazine=Taste|access-date=March 8, 2019}}

= Grain-based halva =

File:Un helva.jpg

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 and {{lang|tr|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.{{cite book |last1=Segnit |first1=Niki |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=_I2SDwAAQBAJ&q=semolina+most+common+halva+corn+starch&pg=PT83 |title=Lateral Cooking |date=2019 |publisher=Bloomsbury |isbn=9781635574418 |page=83}}

Wheat-based Sōhan halvā in Northern India and Pakistan is a renowned delicacy made by combining wheat flour with milk, sugar, clarified butter, cardamom, saffron, and nuts such as almonds and pistachios. The mixture is slow-cooked, allowing the sugar to caramelize, which gives Sōhan halvā its unique firm and brittle texture. Multani halvā ({{Langx|ur|ملتانی حلوہ}}) from Pakistan is another wheat flour-based halva, but with a soft and moist texture.

File:Multani-sohan-halwa.jpg

Dairy-based rice flour halva, known as Pathein halawa, is considered a Burmese delicacy native to the city of Pathein.

=Sesame=

Sesame halva is popular in the Balkans, Poland, the Middle East, and other areas surrounding the Mediterranean Sea. It is also enjoyed in some regions of Pakistan, where it is locally referred to as Tahini Halvā ({{Langx|ur|تہینی حلوہ}}).

The primary ingredients in this confection are sesame butter or paste (tahini), and sugar, glucose or honey. Soapwort{{cite book

|first=Alice |last=Arndt |year=1999 |title=Seasoning Savvy: How to Cook with Herbs, Spices, and Other Flavorings

|publisher=Taylor & Francis |page=215 |isbn=978-1-56022-031-2}}{{Cite web|url=http://www.emthrace.org/exhibits/sweetmeats/halva/en/|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20070703164849/http://www.emthrace.org/exhibits/sweetmeats/halva/en/|url-status=dead|title=Halva Ethnological Museum of Thrace|archivedate=July 3, 2007}} (called ‘erq al halaweh in Arabic; {{lang|tr|çöven}} in Turkish), or egg white are added in some recipes to stabilize the oils in the mixture or create a distinctive texture for the resulting confection. Other ingredients and flavorings, such as pistachio nuts, cocoa powder, orange juice, vanilla, or chocolate are often added to the basic tahini and sugar base.{{cite journal

|title=Halwa with pistachio |journal=FAO Food and Nutrition Paper |volume= 25-28

|publisher=Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations |year=1982

|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=K-hZFHUWZicC&q="HALWA+WITH+PISTACHIO" }}

=Sunflower=

File:Sonnenblumenhalva 20091117 005.JPG halva]]

Sunflower halva is popular in the countries of the former Soviet Union as well as in Bulgaria and Romania.{{Cite journal|url=http://protmed.uoradea.ro/facultate/publicatii/ecotox_zooteh_ind_alim/2014B/zoot/9.Nistor%20Catalin.pdf|title=Comparison of three sunflower halva assortments from Romanian market|first1=E.|last1=Nistor|first2=G.|last2=Hoha|first3=M.|last3=Usturoi|first4=M. S.|last4=Alley|date=2014|journal=Analele Universității din Oradea, Fascicula: Ecotoxicologie, Zootehnie și Tehnologii de Industrie Alimentară|volume=14|issue=B|pages=329–336|s2cid=54789320}} It is made of roasted ground sunflower seeds instead of sesame. It may include other ingredients, such as nuts, cocoa powder, or vanilla.{{citation

|title=Халва. Общие технические условия |journal=Гост 6502-2014

|publisher=Межгосударственный совет по стандартизации, метрологии и сертификации

|year=2014 |url=http://docs.cntd.ru/document/1200114734 }} [{{ citation | title=Halva. General specifications

|journal=Interstate Standard GOST 6502-2014 |publisher=Euro-Asian Council for Standardization, Metrology and Certification

|year=2014 |language=ru }}]{{cite web | title = Халва | publisher = ГОССТАНДАРТ | url = http://gosstandart.info/produkty-pitaniya/konditerskie-izdeliya/halva/ }} {{cite web |title=Halva |publisher=GOSSTANDART |url=http://gosstandart.info/produkty-pitaniya/konditerskie-izdeliya/halva/ |language=ru |access-date=May 1, 2019 |archive-date=January 13, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210113041957/http://gosstandart.info/produkty-pitaniya/konditerskie-izdeliya/halva/ |url-status=dead }} In 1996 around 4–5 thousand tonnes of sunflower halva were being produced by Ukraine annually.{{cite book |last1=Volodymyrovych |first1=Dmytro |title=Ukraine 5 years of Independence |date=1996 |publisher=Politische Geschichte |isbn=9789667127008 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=b6ArAQAAIAAJ&q=halva}}{{Update|date=January 2025}}

=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 =

Gājar kā halvā is a popular halva in India and Pakistan . 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) or floss halva is a traditional sweet, prepared in Kocaeli, 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.{{cite book |last=Amsden |first=Matt |date=2006 |title=RAWvolution: Gourmet Living Cuisine |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=ialwGIyz0xQC |publisher=HarperCollins |isbn=978-0-06-084318-2}}

== Egg halva ==

Anday ka halvā, or egg halva, is a traditional dessert from Pakistan that is prepared using eggs, sugar, clarified butter, and cardamom as the primary ingredients. The dish has a rich, creamy texture, and is garnished with saffron and nuts such as almonds or pistachios.

Cultural and national variations

File:Orient sweets (special halva) Samarkand, Siyab.jpg, Uzbekistan]]

=Azerbaijan=

File:Halva_Small.JPG

One regional variant is from Sheki where Şəki halvası 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.{{Cite web|url=http://visions.az/en/news/534/b06ba3ac/|title=Visions of Azerbaijan Magazine ::: SHEKI'S MYSTERIES – STAINED GLASS AND THE SWEETEST HALVA|website=Visions of Azerbaijan Magazine}}{{Cite web|url=https://news.milli.az/kilinariya/175430.html|title=Mətbəx sirləri: Şəki halvası - VİDEO|date=March 20, 2013|website=Milli.Az}}

=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.{{Cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2016/04/13/dining/tahini-halvah-sesame-dessert.html|title=Sesame Extends Its Sweet Reach Beyond the Middle East|first=Julia|last=Moskin|newspaper=The New York Times|date=April 11, 2016}}

=India=

File:Halva1.jpg

File:Sooji Halwa (Semolina Pudding).JPG

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.{{cite book|title=The book of Hindu festivals and ceremonies|last=Bahadur|first=Om Lata|isbn=81-86112-23-5|publisher=UBS Publishers Distributors ltd.|year=1996|location=New Delhi|edition=3rd|page=[https://archive.org/details/bookofhindufesti0000baha/page/172 172]|url=https://archive.org/details/bookofhindufesti0000baha/page/172}}

The town of Bhatkal in Coastal Karnataka 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.{{cite web|url=https://hebbarskitchen.com/ash-gourd-halwa-kashi-halwa/|title=ash gourd halwa recipe kashi halwa kushmanda halwa dumroot halwa|date=February 12, 2019 |publisher=Hebbar's Kitchen|access-date=22 March 2024}}{{cite web|url=https://udupi-recipes.com/2017/06/jackfruit-halwa-recipe-seasonal-dessert.html|title=jackfruit halwa recipe seasonal dessert|date=June 3, 2017 |publisher=Udupi recipes|access-date=22 March 2024}}

It is speculated that halva (or halwa) is associated with Indian traditions and culture. Written records of sweets from Mānasollāsa mention a sweet called shali-anna, a type of semolina halwa which is today known as kesari in South India.{{Cite web

|url=https://archive.org/stream/IndianFoodTraditionAHistoricalCompanionAchayaK.T./Indian%20Food%20Tradition%20A%20Historical%20Companion%20Achaya%20K.T._djvu.txt

|title=Full text of "Indian Food Tradition A Historical Companion Achaya K. T."

|website=archive.org |access-date=January 30, 2019}}

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.{{Cite web

|url=https://food.ndtv.com/food-drinks/tirunelveli-halwa-tamil-nadus-legendary-red-wheat-halwa-you-need-to-try-1719204

|title=Tirunelveli Halwa: Tamil Nadu's Legendary Red Wheat Halwa You Need to Try |website=NDTV Food

|first=Ashwin |last=Rajagopalan |date=May 10, 2018

|access-date=August 20, 2019}}

File:Black Halwa, Kerala.jpg

The history of Kozhikode Halwa in Kerala could trace back to Zamorin era. Zamorin invited chefs from Gujarat to prepare halwa for their royal feast.{{Cite web

|url=https://www.onmanorama.com/food/foodie/2020/02/15/kozhikode-calicut-halwa-food-history.html

|title=kozhikode-calicut-halwa-food-history |website=www.onmanorama.com }} They were also granted places to stay beside royal kitchen. This settlement later evolved as sweet sellers street, nowadays known as SM (Sweet Meat) Street or Mittayitheruvu.{{Cite news

|url=https://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/kozhikode/a-sweet-place-in-their-hearts/article22199237.ece

|title=a-sweet-place-in-their-hearts |newspaper=The Hindu |date=December 22, 2017 |last1=Basheer |first1=K. p m. }} Kozhikode halwa is made of pure coconut oil, not from ghee. Kozhikode halwa also builds religious harmony; Ayyappa devotees from neighboring states Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh buy halwa and chips like prasadam (sacred food). They distribute them among their neighbors and friends, who consume them with a religious zeal.{{Cite news

|url=https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/kerala/kozhikodan-halwas-religious-flavour/article7982580.ece

|title=kozhikodan-halwas-religious-flavour |newspaper=The Hindu |date=December 13, 2015 |last1=Naha |first1=Abdul Latheef }}

=Iran=

In Iran, halva ({{langx|fa|حلوا}}) usually refers to a related confection made from wheat flour and butter and flavored with saffron and rose water.{{cite book |last1=Fair |first1=Chris |title=Cuisines of the Axis of Evil and Other Irritating States |date=August 3, 2008 |publisher=Rowman & Littlefield |isbn=978-1-59921-634-8 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=IT3tNj0ZztcC&q=iranian+halva&pg=PA55 |access-date=November 1, 2020 |language=en}}{{Cite web |url=http://www.persiancity.com/recipes/recipe.asp?ID=27 |title=Recipe |access-date=December 5, 2008 |archive-date=February 19, 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090219014136/http://www.persiancity.com/recipes/recipe.asp?ID=27 |url-status=dead }} 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.

File:Wedding.Celebration.Halva.webp

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.{{cite book | title = Traditional Crafts in Qajar Iran (1800-1925) | first = Willem M. | last = Floor | publisher = Mazda Publishers | date = 2003 | isbn = 9781568591476 | url = https://books.google.com/books?id=N6HWAAAAMAAJ}}{{cite book | first1 = Chris | last1 = Ying | first2 = René | last2 = Redzepi | title = You and I Eat the Same: On the Countless Ways Food and Cooking Connect Us to One Another (MAD Dispatches) | volume = 1 | publisher = Artisan Books | date = 2018 | url = https://books.google.com/books?id=i0M8DwAAQBAJ&pg=PT110 | isbn = 9781579658564 }}

=Israel=

File:Jerusalem DSC 0764 (8936121697).jpg in Jerusalem]]

Tahini halvah ({{langx|he|חלווה}}) is very popular in Israel and among Jews in the diaspora.{{cite book |last=Marks |first=Gil |author-link=Gil Marks |date=1996 |title=The World of Jewish Cooking |publisher=Simon & Schuster |page=[https://archive.org/details/worldofjewishcoo00mark/page/210 210] |isbn=978-0-684-82491-8 |url-access=registration |url=https://archive.org/details/worldofjewishcoo00mark/page/210 }}{{Cite news|url=https://www.haaretz.com/israel-news/travel/1.4988697|title=Four stops for halvah|newspaper=Haaretz}} 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.{{Cite news|url=https://www.haaretz.com/.premium-the-kibbutz-ice-cream-man-cometh-1.5271394|title=The ice man cometh|newspaper=Haaretz}}

=Myanmar (Burma)=

In Myanmar (Burma), halawa ({{lang|my|ဟလဝါ}}) generally refers to Pathein halawa ({{lang|my|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 Ramadan.{{cite news |newspaper=Al Monitor (Turkey)

|url=https://www.al-monitor.com/pulse/originals/2015/05/turkey-semolina-halva-essential-ingredient-mourning-joy.html

|title=Semolina halva unites Turks in times of joy, sorrow

|quote=In Anatolia, the peninsula of land that today constitutes the Asian part of Turkey, halva has a social mission: it is shared with family and friends at joyous events such as weddings, births, circumcision ceremonies and religious celebrations. Traditionally, it is also served during Lent, at funerals and when someone leaves for hajj and is welcomed back home.

|first=Pinar |last=Tremblay |date=May 18, 2015 |access-date=August 20, 2019}}

For this reason, flour (un) halva is also called in Turkish {{lang|tr|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.{{cite news

|newspaper=The New York Times

|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2004/11/08/nyregion/a-longtime-brooklyn-company-thats-known-for-its-sesame-sweet.html

|title=A Longtime Brooklyn Company That's Known for Its Sesame Sweet

|first=Charles |last=DeLafuentenov |date=November 8, 2004}}