That Translator Can Cook: Halva

A creamy fudge-like confection that is either tahini-based or flour-based and served in dense slices and typically garnished or packed with nuts.

Image Source: Happy Mama

 I haven’t paid too much attention to halvah since it’s made with tahini (sesame seed paste); I didn’t know about the kind you can make with flour. If I make halva, I would add something that is sour or salty so it’s not just sweet.

Image Source: YouTube

Halva’s origin is somewhat murky; “Some scholars have suggested it originated near Byzantium, now Istanbul, some time before the 12th century, while others believe it dates back all the way to 3000 B.C.E.” The first documented recipe of halva is found in the13th-century cookbook, Kitab al-Tabikh, from Baghdad. Now, halva is popular across Central, Southeast, and Southwest Asia, spread by various trade routes and conquering empires.

Halva is also popular in China, albeit it’s a much different than the traditional version, and was brought there by the Mongols when they ruled over China. The halva recipe was featured in a 14th-century almanac for the wealthy in the “Muslim Recipes” section, and Chinese cookbooks continued to feature ‘foreign recipes’ until the 17th century. In China today, halva is “mostly a crumbly peanut candy, held together with maltose.”

Here are a couple ways to make this sweet treat (the tahini recipe belongs to Chef Maha Yousef [شيف مها يوسف], and the semolina recipe belongs to Um Judd [أم جود])!

Tahini Halva

4 hours and 10 minutes

Steps

1. Mix the ingredients until the mixture becomes consistent, with half of the nuts.

2. In a tin or tupperware, lay the nuts on the bottom and pour the halva mixture on top. Press on it until they fuse together.

3. Put it into the refrigerator for 4 hours to cool and harden, then it’s ready.

Ingredients

• 1 cup of tahini (sesame seed paste)

• 1 cup of powdered sugar

• 1 cup of powdered milk

• Nuts if desired

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Semolina Halva

Steps

1. Mix all the first layer ingredients together and add however much food coloring you wish. Cook it on the stove, stirring continuously as the mixture thickens.

2. Pour it into a glass pan after it thickens and let it cool to room temperature.

3. Start making the second layer: mix all the second layer ingredients, then cook the mixture on the stove, stirring so it thickens. When the first layer has cooled, pour the second layer on top of it.

4. The third layer is optional, but I keep a little bit of the first layer to make three layers. Garnish it with coconut and put it in the refrigerator for 1 hour or until you serve it. Bon appetit!

Ingredients

First layer:

• 1 cup of semolina

• 1 cup of sugar

• 4 cups of water

• Food coloring

Second layer:

• 1 cup of semolina

• 1 cup of sugar

• 4 cups of water

Translators’ Discussion

I don’t really have any comments other than musings about sexual innuendos, so if that stuff bothers you, you should steer clear of this discussion.

1. Usually, I translate حسب الرغبة as “to taste” in ingredient lists, but this time, it would’ve been “nuts to taste.” One could argue that it wouldn’t be a problem if one’s mind isn’t in the gutter, but since my mind is always in the gutter, I couldn’t leave this phrase like that, which is why I have “nuts if desired.” Not much better innuendo-wise, but it’s somewhat better.

2. The semolina halva is also called كريزه (kareezeh), but I didn’t transliterate the name for a couple reasons. At first, I thought the pink part of the halva was cherry-flavored because كريز means cherries, but no cherries or cherry flavor in this recipe. I tried search for the transliterated names “kareezeh”, which didn’t exist, and “kareeza”, which Google changed to “karezza”, which is a type of sexual practice. So, I thought it was best to leave كريزه out of it entirely.