The wordhalva entered 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.[8][9] The root in Arabic:ح ل و,romanized: ḥ-l-w, means "sweet".[10] The Persian name for the confection isPersian:روغن خورديگ,romanized: rōɣæn xordīg, meaning "oil food".[1]
Halva originated inPersia (modern dayIran).[1][11] By the 9th century, the term was applied to numerous kinds of sweets, including the now-familiar sweetened cooked semolina or flour paste.[4][8]
The first recipes of halva were documented in the 13th centuryArabic cookbookKitab 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.[8]
Most types of halva are relatively dense confections sweetened with sugar orhoney.[12] Their textures, however, vary. For example,semolina-based halva's texture can be like a very buttery, moist clumpy couscous[13] to something gelatinous and translucent, while sesame-based halva is drier and more crumbly.[14]
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 wheatsemolina include Suji ka Halva in India, Pakistan, Shujir Halua in Bangladesh andirmik 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.[15] Wheat-basedsohan halwa 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 tocaramelize, which givesSōhanhalvā its unique firm and brittle texture.
Multani Sōhan halvā in Pakistan.
Dairy-based rice flour halva, known asPathein halawa, is considered a Burmese delicacy native to the city ofPathein.
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.[4]Soapwort[16][17] (called‘erq al halaweh in Arabic;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 aspistachio nuts,cocoa powder,orange juice,vanilla, or chocolate are often added to the basic tahini and sugar base.[4][18]
In Argentina, Greek immigrants at the beginning of the 20th century created a kind of halva calledmantecol from peanut butter, currently marketed under the name of Mantecol and also Nucrem. Such a product is widely consumed in the country.
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.
Pişmaniye (Turkish) orfloss halva is 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 withhalal orkosher certifications.
In Chinese cuisine, a floss-like candy similar topişmaniye orpashmak 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 nectar and salt are blended together and frozen to firm.[23]
One regional variant is fromSheki whereŞəki halvası halva refers to a layeredbakhlava style pastry filled with spiced-nut mix and topped by crisscrossed patterns of a red syrup made from saffron, dried carrot and beetroot.[24][25]
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 Lent and other fasting periods.[26]
In the early 2020s, halva production also began in Italy. In 2023, the artisanal confectionery laboratory The Halva Lab was established in Sassuolo, producing halva inspired by Mediterranean and Middle Eastern traditions but made without added sugars.[27][28]
Some assorted Indian halva includingsooji halva (diamond shapes),chana halva (light circles), andgajar halva (dark circles)
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.[29]
The town ofBhatkal inCoastal 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.[30][31]
It is speculated that halva (or halwa) is associated with Indian traditions and culture. Written records of sweets fromMānasollāsa mention a sweet calledshali-anna, a type of semolina halwa which is today known askesari in South India.[32]
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 theThamirabarani.[33]
The history ofKozhikode Halwa inKerala could trace back toZamorin era. Zamorin invited chefs fromGujarat to prepare halwa for their royal feast.[34] They were also granted places to stay beside royal kitchen. This settlement later evolved as sweet sellers street, nowadays known asSM (Sweet Meat) Street orMittayitheruvu.[35] Kozhikode halwa is made of pure coconut oil, not from ghee. Kozhikode halwa also builds religious harmony;Ayyappa devotees from neighboring statesKarnataka andAndhra Pradesh buy halwa and chips like prasadam (sacred food). They distribute them among their neighbors and friends, who consume them with a religious zeal.[36]
Platters of halva are served with a cake, a jelly pudding, and cooked chickens in Iranian wedding celebrations
InIran,halva (Persian:حلوا) usually refers to a related confection made from wheat flour and butter and flavored withsaffron androse water.[37][38] 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 withsyrup.[39][40]
Tahini halvah (Hebrew:חלווה) is very popular in Israel and among Jews in the diaspora.[41][42] Israeli halvah is made fromsesametahini 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 isparve. It is often served as a breakfast component at Israeli hotels.
It is also used in specialty ice cream, which is made of sesame halva,tahini, eggs, cream, and sugar, and usually topped withpistachios andSilan (date syrup).[43][44]
InTurkey 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 fromHajj, and duringRamadan.[45]
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,[8] 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.[46][3]
In Somalia, halva is known as xalwo (also spelled halwo or xalwa). It is a popular sweet made from sugar, oil, and cornstarch, flavored with spices such as cardamom, nutmeg, or cloves, and sometimes enriched with peanuts. Xalwo is traditionally served at weddings, Eid celebrations, and other festive occasions, and is often offered to guests alongside Somali tea or coffee as a symbol of hospitality.[47]
^abcFoundation, Encyclopaedia Iranica."Welcome to Encyclopaedia Iranica".iranicaonline.org. RetrievedApril 23, 2021.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.
^Marks, Gil (November 17, 2010).Encyclopedia of Jewish Food. HMH.ISBN978-0-544-18631-6.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
^Marks, Gil (November 17, 2010).Encyclopedia of Jewish Food. HMH.ISBN978-0-544-18631-6.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
^Kobren, Gerri (August 17, 1983)."What's this stuff called halvah?".The Herald News (Passaic, New Jersey). Independent Press Service. p. C-4. RetrievedAugust 17, 2022 – via Newspapers.com.
^"Халва. Общие технические условия",Гост 6502-2014, Межгосударственный совет по стандартизации, метрологии и сертификации, 2014 ["Halva. General specifications",Interstate Standard GOST 6502-2014 (in Russian), Euro-Asian Council for Standardization, Metrology and Certification, 2014]
^"Халва". ГОССТАНДАРТ."Halva" (in Russian). GOSSTANDART. Archived fromthe original on January 13, 2021. RetrievedMay 1, 2019.
^Anders, Anders (October 31, 2016)."Halva ice cream".Icecreamnation.org. RetrievedOctober 31, 2016.
^Tremblay, Pinar (May 18, 2015)."Semolina halva unites Turks in times of joy, sorrow".Al Monitor (Turkey). RetrievedAugust 20, 2019.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.
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