Halva

Halva(alsohalvah,halwa,halua,and other spellings;Arabic:حلوىBhojpuri:𑂯𑂪𑂳𑂄,Hindi:हलवा,Persian:حلوا,Urdu:حلوا) is a type ofconfectionerythat is widely spread throughout theMiddle East and North Africa, theBalkans,Central Asia, andSouth 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.
The wordhalvaentered the English language between 1840 and 1850 from Romanian, which came fromOttoman Turkish:حلوى,romanized:helva, itself ultimately derived fromArabic:حلوى,romanized:ḥalwā, a sweet confection.The root in Arabic:ح ل و,romanized:ḥ-l-w, means "sweet".The original name for the confection wasPersian:روغن خورديگ,romanized:rōɣn khordīg, meaning "oil food".
The origin of halva is disputed, some say that it dates back to Arabia where a reference tohalvahappeared in the 7th century, referring to a mixture of masheddateswith milk.others claim that it originated inPersia(modern dayIran).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 centuryArabiccookbookKitab al-Tabikh(The Book of Dishes), as well as an anonymous cookbook from 13th-centuryAl-Andalus. Halva was adopted by theOttoman Turks, including a sesame-based version, and spread throughout their empire.
Most types of halva are relatively dense confections sweetened with sugar orhoney.Their textures, however, vary. For example,semolina-based halva's texture can be like a very buttery, moist clumpy couscousto something gelatinous and translucent, while sesame-based halva is drier and more crumbly.
Grain-based halva is made by toasting flour or cornstarch in oil, mixing it into aroux, and then cooking it with a sugary syrup. Corn is rarely used.
Dishes made from wheatsemolinainclude Suji ka Halva in India, Pakistan andirmik helvasıin 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.Wheat-basedSōhanhalvāin 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 tocaramelize, which givesSōhanhalvāits unique firm and brittle texture. Multani halvā (Urdu:ملتانی حلوہ) from Pakistan is another wheat flour-based halva, but with a soft and moist texture.
Dairy-based rice flour halva, known asPathein halawa, is considered a Burmese delicacy native to the city ofPathein.
Sesamehalva 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 asTahini Halvā(Urdu:تہینی حلوہ).
The primary ingredients in this confection are sesame butter or paste (tahini), and sugar, glucose or honey.Soapwort(called‘erq al halawehin Arabic;çövenin 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 aspistachionuts,cocoa powder,orange juice,vanilla, or chocolate are often added to the basic tahini and sugar base.
Sunflowerhalva is popular in thecountries of the former Soviet Unionas well as inBulgariaandRomania.It is made of roasted groundsunflower seedsinstead 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.
In Argentina, Greek immigrants at the beginning of the 20th century created a kind of halva calledmantecolfrom peanut butter, currently marketed under the name of Mantecol and also Nucrem. Such a product is widely consumed in the country.
Gājar kā halvā  is a popular halva inIndiaandPakistan. 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.
Pişmaniye(Turkish) orfloss halvais a traditional sweet, prepared inKocaeli, 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 tocotton candy. Floss halva can be found in regular and pistachio flavors, and there are brands withhalalorkoshercertifications.
In Chinese cuisine, a floss-like candy similar topişmaniyeorpashmak halva, known asdragon 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 sesametahini, rawalmonds, rawagave nectarand salt are blended together and frozen to firm.
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 like almonds or pistachios.
One regional variant is fromShekiwhereŞəki halvasıhalva refers to a layeredbakhlavastyle pastry filled with spiced-nut mix and topped by crisscrossed patterns of a red syrup made from saffron, dried carrot and beetroot.
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 ofGreat Lentand other fasting periods.
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 ofBhatkalinCoastal Karnatakais 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 fromMānasollāsamention a sweet calledshali-anna, a type of semolina halwa which is today known askesariin South India.
Tirunelveliin 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 theThamirabarani.
The history ofKozhikode HalwainKeralacould trace back toZamorin era. Zamorin invited chefs fromGujaratto prepare halwa for their royal feast.They were also granted places to stay beside royal kitchen. This settlement later evolved as sweet sellers street, nowadays known asSM (Sweet Meat) StreetorMittayitheruvu.Kozhikode halwa is made of pure coconut oil, not from ghee. Kozhikode halwa also builds religious harmony;Ayyappadevotees from neighboring statesKarnatakaandAndhra Pradeshbuy halwa and chips like prasadam (sacred food). They distribute them among their neighbors and friends, who consume them with a religious zeal.
InIran,halva(Persian:حلوا) usually refers to a related confection made from wheat flour and butter and flavored withsaffronandrose 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 Ardehis the Iranian term for tahini-based halva, and may or may not include whole pistachios.Ardehis processed sesame in the form of paste, usually sweetened withsyrup.
Tahini halvah (Hebrew:חלווה) is very popular in Israel and among Jews in the diaspora.Israeli halvah is made fromsesametahiniand 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 isparve. It is often served as a breakfast component at Israeli hotels, and even used in specialtyice cream.
InMyanmar(Burma),halawa(ဟလဝါ) generally refers toPathein halawa(ပုသိမ်ဟလဝါ), a Burmese confection ormontmade withglutinous rice flour,rice flour, milk, and coconut shavings originating from theIrrawaddy deltatown ofPathein. Another popularsemolina-based confection, which is known as sooji halawa in India, is calledsanwin makinin Myanmar.
InTurkeyhalva 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 fromHajj, and duringRamadan.
For this reason, flour (un) halva is also called in Turkishölü helvası, meaning "halva of the dead". The expression "roasting halva for someone" suggests that the person referred to has died.
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-originatedJoyva.