Halva

Halva is a famous oriental sweet, which is made from seeds, nuts and sugar by using a foaming agent on a mixture of ingredients. Iran is considered the birthplace of halva, where it was first prepared. By the way, in translation from Arabic, halvah means precisely “sweetness” ^[1].

Unlike traditional Slavic sweets, this product does not contain flour components, which makes the product much more useful than buns and cakes. The main difference between halva and other oriental sweet products is the fibrous texture of its texture, formed by the interaction of a foaming agent and a caramel base. ^[2]. Sweetness is prepared by mechanical and thermal processing of seeds and nuts, which are initially finely ground, and then poured into hot honey or sugar-based syrup.

It is to give halva layering that nuts, seeds or legumes are introduced into the mass. The product must be made by hand, this is how the inhabitants of the East invented it in their time, however, on the shelves of stores around the world you can only find an industrial product, devoid of many of the classic qualities that should be inherent in real halva.

In the East, the manufacturers of this sweet are called the word “kandalatchi”. And although today halvah is prepared all over the world on an industrial scale, connoisseurs of sweets believe that only sweets in Iran are truly delicious, where they are still made by hand by special craftsmen.

Varieties of sweetness

Now there are many varieties of halva, which are prepared according to both classical and modern recipes, adding various ingredients atypical for it to the product. ^[3]. However, there are only 6 real types of halva that were historically prepared in the East. The most famous type is sunflower halva, which is dry in appearance, lacks oily smudges, oiliness and a grayish-greenish tint like real sunflower seeds ^[4]. Such a product cannot contain bitterness, however, it should not be cloying in sweetness. Real sunflower halva is famous for its moderate sweetish aftertaste, light color, dryness and light crumbly texture.

The next type of this sweet is the famous tahini halva. Her recipe contains sesame seeds, which can give the product a bitter tint in taste. The color of tahini halva is yellowish gray, without dark transitions or deep earthy tint.

Many people prefer to use peanut halva because it is very fragrant, creamy and very healthy. ^[5]. Nut halva is also popular, made from different types of nuts, for example, from cashews, walnuts, almonds or pistachios, and maybe from all at once. Such a product varies in its taste characteristics depending on the type of raw material used in the manufacture.

Also, all of the above varieties of this sweet can be combined during production, as a result of which manufacturers receive a combined halva, for example, pistachio-sesame or sesame-peanut. Often, walnuts are added to sunflower halva, and candied fruits and pieces of fruit are added to nut halva.

Glazed halva is considered the “youngest” in time of occurrence. It is in high demand due to its exquisite taste, despite the fact that such a product is too high in calories and heavy for the stomach.

Storage methods and product selection methodology

In order for both a healthy and tasty delicacy to appear in the house, it is necessary to clearly understand how to choose the right halva in the store, where today it is presented in a huge number of options. It is especially important to take into account the fact that the product is sold both by weight and in packages, where it is not always possible to visually evaluate the contents.

When buying, you need to make sure the integrity of the package. Next, you should familiarize yourself with the composition, which the manufacturer must indicate on the box, in order to find out if harmful preservatives or flavors were added to the halvah. This fact may indicate not only an improvement in the characteristics of the finished product (for example, its taste), but also that the ingredients from which the halva was made were of poor quality, which is why flavoring components had to be added to the composition. When buying halva in a package, transparent boxes and bags should be preferred in order to highlight the distinguishing features characteristic of a good halva:

• a flat surface without sugar smudges, which indicate savings on the main components of the delicacy – nuts or seeds;
• the absence of greasy drops and smudges indicates compliance with all technological processes of production;
• the absence of a whitish coating indicates the freshness of the product and its proper storage ^[6].

In vacuum packaging, the product can be stored without loss of taste for about 6 months, but in cardboard boxes, sweets cannot be stored for more than 2 months from the date of release. After opening any package, halva should be transferred to a glass or ceramic dish with a lid and stored exclusively in the refrigerator.

The features of the weighed product are as follows:

• when buying sunflower or peanut halva, it is important to pay attention to the absence of husks on the cut or scrap, and if it is present, it is better not to buy the product;
• a high-quality and fresh product must be fibrous, with visible fragility of light-colored pieces;
• if possible, the product should be tasted and should not be sticky.

When purchasing a product by weight, you need to check with the seller when the halva was produced, since from the moment of production its shelf life is only 1 week.

Useful Properties

The vitamin and mineral composition of halva is very useful for the human body. The product has a lot of anti-aging properties, which carries a large concentration of vitamin E in the composition. They concern not only the appearance of a person, but also the work of the central nervous system due to the high content of B vitamins, which help to cope with depressive conditions and fight insomnia. ^[7]. Sweetness is good for the digestive organs and circulatory system. Due to the presence of vitamin D, the product helps to absorb calcium, thereby strengthening bone tissue.

Seed-based halva prevents cardiovascular and oncological diseases ^[8]. The sesame product is rich in vitamin A, which promotes the production of collagen and prevents the deterioration of vision and a decrease in human immunity. ^[9]. The product also contains components that stimulate oxygen metabolism, helping the body recover after heavy physical or mental stress, as well as after stressful situations and conditions. The iron contained in sesame halva stabilizes the composition of the blood, and zinc prevents aging of the skin, hair and nails. Phosphorus in the composition of sweets stabilizes the brain and has a beneficial effect on the activity of the nervous system as a whole.

The nut product is especially useful for older people, as it reduces the likelihood of a heart attack and dementia due to the presence of nuts, which perfectly stimulate memory and help normalize the activity of internal organs and systems ^[10]. The pistachio product is recommended for those who suffer from liver diseases, as well as for people with reduced sexual function, since pistachios are an effective aphrodisiac ^[11]. Any halva can lower cholesterol and increase the rate of metabolic processes in the human body.

Contraindications of the product and its harm

Halva is contraindicated for all those who carefully monitor their weight, since this product is a high-calorie ^[12]. You can not use sweetness and with diabetes, pancreatitis, obesity, problems with the digestive organs and atherosclerosis. Allergy sufferers also need to be careful when consuming this product, as it is made from ingredients that have a high level of allergenicity.

The daily norm of halva for an adult is only 30 grams of the product, but children under the age of 6 are not recommended to use the product, since halva can damage the delicate mucous membrane of a child’s mouth and milk teeth, and it can also cause blockage of the child’s airways.

Culinary use and home cooking

Such a confectionery product as halva is perfect for tea parties in its pure form. However, it is often used as a filling in all kinds of pastries, melted to make homemade sauces, used as a base for cheesecakes or incredible and aromatic coffee.

Homemade halva is quite easy to prepare. Its taste is very delicate, and you can be completely sure of the quality of the product, since for the recipe it is possible to choose only high-quality and fresh products. The main ingredients for making halvah at home are:

• 220 grams of sesame;
• 160 grams of sugar;
• 1 a glass of flour;
• 80 milliliters of milk;
• a handful of cashew nuts and various dried fruits;
• 1 teaspoon vanilla;
• vegetable oil.

Sesame seeds are roasted in a pan until golden, and then ground in a coffee grinder. It is also necessary to do with flour: first fry, then mix with ground sesame seeds and grind the whole mixture again. Finely chop nuts and dried fruits with a knife. Milk is mixed with vanilla and sugar, brought to a boil in a separate bowl and boiled for a minute until a thick foam forms. After that, the milk mixture is combined with sesame and nut mixture, thoroughly mixed, laid out in a greased form and well compacted. The form is placed in the refrigerator. After hardening, the product is ready for cutting and eating.

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