Halva (also halvah, halwa, halua,[1] and other spellings; Persian: حلوا,Hindi: हलवा) is a type of confectionery originating from Persia (now Iran) and widely spread throughout the Middle East 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.[2][3][4][5]
The word halva entered the English language between 1840 and 1850 from Romanian, which came from Ottoman Turkish: حلوى, romanized: helva, itself ultimately derived from Arabic: حلوى, romanized: ḥalwā, a sweet confection.[6][7] The root in Arabic: ح ل و, romanized: ḥ-l-w, means "sweet".[8] The original name for the confection was Persian: روغن خورديگ, romanized: rōγn xwardīg, meaning "oil food".[9]
Halva originated in Persia (modern day Iran).[9][10] A reference to halvah appeared in the 7th century, referring to a mixture of mashed dates with milk. By the 9th century, the term was applied to numerous kinds of sweets, including the now-familiar sweetened cooked semolina or flour paste.[2][6]
Many of the earlier Persian recipes were documented in the 13th century Arabic book 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.[6]
Most types of halva are relatively dense confections sweetened with sugar or honey.[11] Their textures, however, vary. For example, semolina-based halva's texture can be like a very buttery, moist clumpy couscous[12] to something gelatinous and translucent, while sesame-based halva is drier and more crumbly.[13]
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 halwa (sooji sheera, rawa sheera) in India and irmik helvası in Turkey. The semolina is first toasted in fat, either oil or butter, to which water or milk, and sugar is added as desired to create the preferred taste and consistency.[14]
Dairy-based rice flour halva, known as Pathein halawa, is considered a Burmese delicacy native to the city of Pathein.
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.[2]Soapwort[15][16] (called ‘erq al halaweh in Arabic; çöven in Turkish), egg white, or marshmallow root 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.[2][17]
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.
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 halalorkosher certifications.
A similar chickpea-based, version of floss halva is popular in North India. It tends to be slightly denser and is often referred to as patisaorsohan papdi. In Chinese cuisine, a floss-like candy similar to pişmaniyeorpashmak 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.[22]
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.[23][24]
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.[25]
Some assorted Indian halva including sooji halva (diamond shapes), chana halva (light circles), and gajar halva (dark circles)Sooji halwa made from semolina or sooji
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.[26]
The town of BhatkalinCoastal Karnataka is famous for its unique Banana Halwa which is infused with either whole cashews, pistachio or almonds. This type of authentic halwas are a specialty of the Muslims of this town. The Udupi cuisine has halwa's made from Banana, Wheat, Ashgourd, and Jackfuit, etc.[27][28]
It is speculated that Halva (or Halwa) is associated with Indian traditions and culture, written records of sweets from Mānasollāsa indicate that semolina halvas, the most popular form of halvas in India, were already known in India, for instance, it mentions a sweet called shali-anna which is a semolina based sweet today known as Kesari in South India.[29]
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.[30]
Black halwa from Kerala
The history of Kozhikode HalwainKerala could trace back to Zamorin era. Zamorin invited chefs from Gujarat to prepare halwa for their royal feast.[31] They were also granted places to stay beside royal kitchen. This settlement later evolved as sweet sellers street, nowadays known as SM (Sweet Meat) StreetorMittayitheruvu.[32] 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.[33]
InIran, halva (Persian: حلوا) usually refers to a related confection made from wheat flour and butter and flavored with saffron and rose water.[34][35] 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.
Platters of Halva are served with a cake, a jelly pudding, and cooked chickens in Iranian wedding celebrations
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.[36][37]
Tahini halvah (Hebrew: חלווה) is very popular in Israel and among Jews in the diaspora.[38][39] Israeli halvah is made from sesametahini 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.[40]
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 from Hajj, and during Ramadan.[41]
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.
Halva can be found in ethnic Indian, Jewish,[6] Arab, Persian, Greek, Balkan, and Turkish community stores and delicatessens. It is increasingly offered by upscale restaurants in some areas.[42] Besides being imported, it is manufactured in the United States, with the largest producer being Brooklyn-originated Joyva.[43][1]
^ abFoundation, Encyclopaedia Iranica. "Welcome to Encyclopaedia Iranica". iranicaonline.org. Retrieved April 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
^Kobren, Gerri (August 17, 1983). "What's this stuff called halvah?". The Herald News (Passaic, New Jersey). Independent Press Service. p. C-4. Retrieved August 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 from the original on January 13, 2021. Retrieved May 1, 2019.
^Tremblay, Pinar (May 18, 2015). "Semolina halva unites Turks in times of joy, sorrow". Al Monitor (Turkey). Retrieved August 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.
Media: Halva
