Halva

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Confections often made from nut butters or flours

title: "Halva" type: doc version: 1 created: 2026-02-28 author: "Wikipedia contributors" status: active scope: public tags: ["confectionery", "vegetarian-cuisine", "arab-desserts", "balkan-cuisine", "burmese-desserts-and-snacks", "iranian-desserts", "israeli-desserts", "israeli-confectionery", "jewish-desserts", "levantine-cuisine", "egyptian-cuisine", "ottoman-cuisine", "mizrahi-jewish-cuisine", "south-asian-cuisine", "uzbekistani-cuisine", "tajik-cuisine", "turkish-desserts", "halva", "bulgarian-cuisine", "greek-cuisine", "semolina-dishes", "ancient-dishes", "lenten-foods", "breakfast", "albanian-cuisine", "indo-caribbean-cuisine"] description: "Confections often made from nut butters or flours" topic_path: "geography/iran" source: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Halva" license: "CC BY-SA 4.0" wikipedia_page_id: 0 wikipedia_revision_id: 0

::summary Confections often made from nut butters or flours ::

::data[format=table title="Infobox food"]

Field	Value
name	Halva
image	File:Orient sweets (special halva) Samarkand, Siyab.jpg
place_of_origin	Iran (Persia)
region	Middle East, South Asia, Central Asia, Eastern Europe, Balkans, South Caucasus, North Africa, Horn of Africa
type	Confectionery, dessert
served	Cold
::

Halva (also halvah, halwa, halua; ) is a type of confectionery that is spread throughout the Middle East and North Africa, East Africa, Eastern Europe, and the Balkans, Central Asia, and South Asia. The name refers to a broad variety of recipes, generally a thick paste made from flour, butter, oil, saffron, rosewater, milk, turmeric powder, and 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 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 , itself ultimately derived from , a sweet confection. The root in , 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 , meaning "oil food".

History

Halva originated in Persia (modern day Iran). 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. A description of sesame-based halwa (called ) can be found in an 1844 dictionary by Swedish Orientalist . |last1=Berggren |first1=Jakob |title=Guide français-arabe vulgaire des voyageurs dt des francs en Syrie et en Égypte: avec carte physique et géographique de la Ssyrie et plan géométrique de Jérusalem ancien et moderne, comme supplément aux voyages en orient |date=1844 |publisher=Leffler et Sebell |pages=267-268 |trans-title=A French-Arabic guide for travelers and Franks in Syria and Egypt: with a physical and geographical map of Syria and a geometric plan of ancient and modern Jerusalem, as a supplement to travels in the Orient |url=https://www.google.com/books/edition/Guide_fran%C3%A7ais_arabe_vulgaire_des_voyag/9AdHAAAAcAAJ?gbpv=1&pg=PA269 |access-date=24 Jan 2026 |language=ar,fr}}

Types

Most types of halva are relatively dense confections sweetened with sugar or honey. Their textures, however, vary. For example, semolina-based halva's texture can be like a very buttery, moist clumpy couscous to something gelatinous and translucent, while sesame-based halva is drier and more crumbly.

Grain-based halva

::figure[src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/2/2e/Un_helva.jpg" caption="Turkish ''un helvası'', a flour-based halva"] ::

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 in India, Pakistan, Shujir Halua in Bangladesh and 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. Wheat-based sohan 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 to caramelize, which gives Sōhan halvā its unique firm and brittle texture. ::figure[src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/19/Multani-sohan-halwa.jpg" caption="Multani Sōhan halvā in Pakistan." alt="Multani sohan halva"] ::

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.

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}} (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 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

::figure[src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/93/Sonnenblumenhalva_20091117_005.JPG" caption="[[Sunflower]] halva"] ::

Sunflower halva is popular in the countries of the former Soviet Union as well as in Bulgaria and Romania. 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 }}] In 1996 around 4–5 thousand tonnes of sunflower halva were being produced by Ukraine annually.

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

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.

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.

Cultural and national variations

Albania

Albanian halva () tends to have flour, sugar and olive oil and is similar to nougat. It is often topped with nuts.

Armenia

Armenian halva tends to have semolina flour, sesame, honey, butter and sugar.

Azerbaijan

::figure[src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/3/33/Halva_Small.JPG" caption="Şəki halvası"] ::

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.

Bahrain

One regional variant is from is from Bahrain (), made from starch, sugar, nuts, saffron, rose water, and cardamom. This dessert is estimated to be more than 200 years, according to dated utensils in the Bahrain National Museum.

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.

Italy

Halva has become popular 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.

India

::figure[src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/c/cb/Halva1.jpg" caption="Some assorted Indian halva including ''sooji halva'' (diamond shapes), ''chana halva'' (light circles), and ''gajar 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.

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 jackfruit.

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}}

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 }} File:Sooji Halwa (Semolina Pudding).JPG|Sooji halwa made from semolina or sooji File:Black Halwa, Kerala.jpg|Black halwa from Kerala

Iran

::figure[src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/3/38/Wedding.Celebration.Halva.webp" caption="Platters of halva are served with a cake, a jelly pudding, and cooked chickens in Iranian wedding celebrations"] ::

In Iran, halva () usually refers to a related confection made from wheat flour and butter and flavored with saffron and rose 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 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.

Israel

Tahini halvah () is very popular in Israel and among Jews in the diaspora. 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.

It is also used in specialty ice cream, which is made of sesame halva, tahini, eggs, cream, and sugar, and usually topped with pistachios and Silan (date syrup). File:Jerusalem DSC 0764 (8936121697).jpg|Israeli halva displays at the Mahane Yehuda Market in Jerusalem File:Halva Icecream P1130769.JPG|Halva ice cream

Myanmar (Burma)

In Myanmar (Burma), halawa (ဟလဝါ) generally refers to Pathein halawa (ပုသိမ်ဟလဝါ), a Burmese confection or mont made with glutinous rice flour, rice flour, milk, and coconut shavings originating in 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 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}}

Somalia

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.

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