Halvah

[helenas]

Today i shared a great turkish pistachio halva with some of my coworkers: one happened to be from Romania, and the other one from India, and both claimed halvah as their national dessert. Another guy joined us and said confidently, that halvah is jewish.

At this point we turned to Merriam-Webster:

"Etymology: Yiddish halva, from Romanian, from Turkish helva, from Arabic halwA sweetmeat .", so basically everybody was right.

Halvah was/is very popular in Russia as well. I can't forget some wonderful cake called "Slavyanka" that had a filling of halva's creme. I even tracked down a recipe for it from some russian food board.

Do you like halvah? What is your favorite type, brand? Any interesting recipes involving halvah?

And does anybody know anything about Kos-Halva , by any chance?

[Sandra Levine]

Helena, I am interested in the recipe for that cake. Is there a link in English? If not, can you post a translation? I love halvah. Years ago, it was usually available near the register at every Jewish deli. here is good bulk halvah available in Greek groceries in Astoria. It is now a once a year treat for me, since it is one of the most fattening things you can put in mouth.

[hollywood]

Welcome back!

[cakewalk]

Halvah belongs to everybody. It is one of my most favorite sweets in the world. When I was a kid I loved to buy the Joyva chocolate covered halva more than anything (even Chunkies). Actually I still do, but as Sandra mentioned it is possibly the most fattening food in existence. I loved buying blocks of it in the shuk in Jerusalem, on any pretext. I would also love to see your recipe Helena (but what is halva cream?). Oh joy. va.

[swissmiss]

Halvah is also one of my favorite sweets, but I only buy it about every six months because I just sit with the container and eat it by the spoonful. I like the kind in the clear container with green writing, which also serves as a Tupperware-substitute once empty. I used to buy that brand in Switzerland too.

[elyse]

I guess we all love halvah! I heard sesame seeds pulverized with honey will become halvah (just like that) but haven't tried it. Some chemical reaction. I believe that was a Wayne Harley Brachman foodtv tidbit. He has a halvah cream recipe there. I was never picky about what kind I ate. I never buy it anymore, because I don't eat some. I eat it ALL.

[Sandra Levine]

I think it's a love it or hate it proposition. I've heard some people describe it as "straw."

[elyse]

Well, Sandra, they're obviously insane.

[helenas]

The russian version of halvah cream includes sweetened condensed milk, butter and halvah, are you sure you want me to continue translation?

In the meantime, this is a recipe that i found a while ago, Halva Gateau, and it sounds interesting including the cake layers based on semolina/almond flour. Actually this recipe was on internet like forever, i wonder if anybody actually tried it?

[Sandra Levine]

Please...I can dream, can't I?

[elyse]

Is it me, or is anyone else having trouble getting to Helena's link? I tried other recipes there and they came up blank too.

[Rail Paul]

Is it me, or is anyone else having trouble getting to Helena's link?  I tried other recipes there and they came up blank too.

the link worked for me at 1653 ET

[elyse]

I'm still coming up blank!

[helenas]

So here is the basic theme of the halvah cake "Slavyanka":

For the cream:

Butter 280 g;

Egg yolks 70g;

Sweetened condensed milk 170 g

Halva 80 g

powdered sugar 10 g

Vanilla;

Prepare sponge cake using your favorite recipe (3 layers)

Prepare cream.

Whip the butter, using hand-held mixer, add the crushed halva, the condensed milk, yolks, powdered sugar, vanilla and continue to whip until billowy. Sandwich the filling between the layers of sponge cake, as well as on the top and sides.

The variations are mostly following:

- no egg yolks;

- no powdered sugar;

- no egg yolks and no powdered sugar;

- more halvah;

Just beware, i'm not sure about the result. Products in Russia are so different. I just remember how many reliable russian baking recipes started to fail miserably when first tried in Israel.

[cakewalk]

I heard sesame seeds pulverized with honey will become halvah (just like that) but haven't tried it.

Try mixing tehina with honey. Spread on crackers. Or just dig in with a spoon. Yummm. (This should probably go in that "cravings" thread.)

[Stephanie]

I think it's a love it or hate it proposition.  I've heard some people describe it as "straw."

Well, I would too if I'd only had the Joyva version. Fresh halvah is wonderful, especially the marble kind or the one with chocolate on top.

[Sandra Levine]

Thanks, Helena. The halvah cream might also be good spread thinly in the pastry shell as the base for a fruit tart.

Edited April 23, 2003 by Sandra Levine (log)

[Wendy DeBord]

I like it when it's very dry and sand like, marbled is my flavor of choice.

Last couple times I've purchased it, it was very oily and not as dense as I like. I don't have a good source for it anymore.

[Steve Klc]

A link to a nice site:

http://www.gourmed.gr/dessert-recipes/show...w.asp?recid=382

[Suvir Saran]

And then we Indians have many Halwaahs in our culinary repertoire.

Sooji Halwah is the most common one. Sooji is Farina/Semolina.

It is often prepared for prasad. Offerings of food served to the deities being worshipped on special occasions.

Carrot Halwah, zucchini, lentils and beans, and whole wheat are some other halwahs from India.

[elyse]

That is so interesting Suvir. Thank you.

[pjs]

Lately I've been buying the Kasih brand imported from Jordan. I just noticed the ingredients. Tahini, Sugar, Sapponaria Officinalis, Glucose, Pistaschio, Citric Acid, Vanillin, E171, Stabilizer (E471 Vegetable Origin).

Also noticed that I'm almost out--need to buy some more.

PJ

[Ellen Shapiro]

I like to buy it from stores that do enough halva business that they sell it in bulk (and it’s fresh). I usually get mine from Economy Candy on the Lower East Side. They have a big block of the marble as well as chocolate covered layered halva in loaves, pistachio halva and also rings of Turkish Delight.

When I was a kid I went to some event where along with the other desserts someone had an entire block of halva (it must have been at least 10 pounds) sitting there for people to cut off pieces at whim. I thought I had died and gone to heaven.

[cbarre02]

Just looked over a recipe for carrot halva, and was wondering if anyone has made this or varations of it? From the recipe that i read, it steams to be nothing more than spiced milk steeped carrots with some raisins. Is this presumtion correct, or is there something more to this Indian dessert?

If so there could be an unlimited amount of variations, any suggestions?

[Michael Laiskonis]

Cory, I just spent some time immersed in Indian dessert traditions. This sounds interesting- is this recipe something you could link to, or at least flesh out in your own words?