The many faces of Halvah

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The many faces of Halvah

 

Like the dolma and baklava, halvah is one of those dishes found from the

Balkans to India and claimed as its own by practically every culture and

country

in between.

 

There are many versions. Basic halva, as it is found throughout the Balkans

and Turkey is a simple dessert. The most common version is made by cooking

semolina and then shaping it into balls which are then sweetened with either

honey or " pekmez " (petimezi)- grape must syrup.

 

For Greeks, halvah is one of the main Lenten sweets, especially the variety

made with tahini and sold in block or brick form. This type of halva is

called Makedonikos Halvas (Macedonian halva). It is sold by weight and comes

plain, flavored with chocolate, or studded with nuts. Greeks like to eat

Makedonikos halvas sprinkled with lemon juice and cinnamon and often

accompanied by a

cool glass of retsina.

 

There are at least five or six other versions of halva in Greece, though.

The most interesting recipes are the obscure cheese-based halvahs found in some

parts of northern Greece as well as in several Aegean islands. In these

versions, fresh sheep’s milk cheese is slowly heated until most of its fat is

exuded. It is mixed with sugar and sometimes a little flour. The dish is

continuously stirred over a low flame until it becomes almost liquid, but

thick, a

kind of primitive fondue!

 

Tasty, too, are the grain-based halvas from Thessaly. One old recipe,

" sousamohalva " , calls for sesame paste (tahini), wheat starch, chick peas and

sugar. Farsala, near Volos, is famous for its smooth-textured halvah known

either

as sapoune or as " Halva Farsalon " . It is made with rice flour and is opaque

and unctuous with a crisp tasty topping of burnt sugar. There is the hard,

white " kommat halvas " , very similar to nougat, which is studded with walnuts,

and which is found in bakeries in Salonika. " Halva tis Rinas " is a baked

semolina version, the most common kind of halva and the one usually found in

the

home kitchen.

 

Although halvah is found all over Greece, it seems most likely that the

etymology and perhaps the origins of the dish are Turkish. According to the

" Classical Turkish Dictionary, " the word in Turkish means sweet, but has

evolved

over time to be associated mainly with the name of the particular sweet in

question. In the " Turkish Cookbook, " Nevin Halici writes that halvah -or helva

as it is called in Turkey- is the oldest dessert in Turkish cuisine. Mention

of the dish is made in the 13th century works of Mevlana Jalaluddin-i Rumi,

who conceived a philosophy of harmony and cooperation and provided much

information on the subject of food. Many dishes are described in Mevlana's

works,

among them two versions of helva, one made with grape syrup called " pekmez

helvasi " and one made with almonds called " badem helvasi " . In the 15th century,

during the reign of Sultan Suleyman the Magnificent, under whose rule Topkapi

Palace was greatly expanded to accommodate a more elaborate court life, the

kitchens were rebuilt to include a structure with six domes called the

Helvahane, or House of Helva, where, among other things, numerous varieties of

halvah were made. By the 17th century, the elite of Istanbul were holding

elaborate dinners called Helva suppers, perhaps not unlike the symposia of the

ancient Greeks. At these Helva dinners, the sweet was served as a kind of

intermezzo between sessions of discussion and entertainment. In some parts of

Anatolia to this day helva suppers are still held.

 

Today, helva is still a very popular sweet in Turkey, consumed on special

occasions, but especially to mark births and deaths. There are several versions

to be found. One is a loose pudding made with semolina into which is stirred

sweet hot milk. It is seasoned with saffron and pistachios. The funerary

dish is " Kara Topak Helva " , which is made by browning flour and sesame seeds in

butter and adding hot pekmez syrup and walnuts. The mixture is kneaded like a

dough and served warm. (There is a Turkish saying, " He carries the halvah

pan on his shoulders, " which connotes that someone is dying.) Another version,

" Un Helvasi " , is made by slowly browning flour in butter, then adding a sugar

syrup and pine nuts, not almonds or pistachios. " Irmik Helvasi " , is a

granular pudding also made with semolina and hot milk. Halvah is a favorite

votive

gift among Turkish women.

 

Although there are disputes as to when, the dish, or at least its name,

seems to have moved south and east from Turkey, into Syria and Lebanon, the

Gulf

States, Afghanistan, and, finally, India. Some sources say that Turkish

emigrants, not Ottoman conquerors, brought it to the Arab countries a mere

hundred

or so years ago. Most agree it was introduced into India by the Moguls in

the 16th century.

 

In the Gulf States, " halwa " , might be made with corn flour, butter, sugar,

nuts, cardamom, and saffron, and served in small containers like individual

puddings. It is one of the most frequently consumed sweets, usually had with

coffee and served to visitors. One also encounters the tahini-based version, to

which is added an emulsifier called saponin, an extract from the roots and

bark of a tree called Saponaria Officinalis. This version is known as " rahash "

in the Gulf and as " halwa shamiyah " in the countries of the Maghreb. In

Bahrain, Kuwait, and Qatar, we encounter the " sembosa helwah " , made with ground

almonds, sugar, cardamom, saffron, rosewater, flour, oil, and water. The

ingredients are kneaded together and fried, and the dish is frequently made for

wedding feasts.

 

In Iran and parts of Afghanistan, halvah is sometimes translated as saffron

cake, and is most often made by browning flour in a skillet as one does to

make a roux, then adding to it a sugar syrup flavored with saffron, rosewater,

and cardamom. The mixture is spread in a shallow dish and garnished with

pistachios. Oddly, in Iran it sometimes is served as a main course with a wedge

of the Persian flat bread called " lavash " , and it is also one of the dishes

with which to break the Ramadan fast. Iranians also make a liquid form of

halvah with the same ingredients but three times the amount of water, which is

served hot.

 

Some versions of the dessert, like the helwhaat el Jibni of the Lebanese,

include cheese. In a most unusual recipe, a soft fresh cheese is poached in

water then drained. Semolina and some syrup are added to it. The mixture is

spread into a shallow baking sheet, rolled up, cut into strips, then dipped

again

in syrup. Nikos Stavroulakis in his book " The Cookbook of the Jews of

Greece " also mentions a cheese halvah, from Hania.

 

Of all the countries of the East, though, India possesses by far the most

unusual recipes for this most popular, widespread sweet. The Indian Sooji Halwa

contains many of the same ingredients most Greeks associate with halvah,

including semolina, sugar, and butter. But the wheat-colored dessert, India

style, is studded with black raisins and is redolent of cardamom. It is the

most

commonly prepared dessert in Indian homes, oftentimes served with a dollop

of heavy cream poured over it, and one of the main foods given to nursing

mothers. Some of the most unique and delicious Indian halwas are the ones made

for banquets and feasts. One calls for carrot simmered in coconut milk for

hours until it becomes a delicate pudding. Another banquet preparation is the

pumpkin or gourd halwa and the banana halwa (also found in Turkey). But perhaps

the most unusual Indian recipe of all is the " dhall halwa " , made with black

lentils, semolina, rose water, coconut, and almonds.

 

 

 

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01.20.09