Halva And A Shoe Rack

[poliphilo]

Stefka, who has been my mother's main carer over the past few months, went on holiday to Bulgaria- where she hails from- and brought us back a small tin of halva (sp?). Halva is a dry paste made- says Stef- of sunflower seeds and sugar. It's brain-rottingly sweet. Ailz and I had a spoonful each and gave the rest to Matthew who has no inhibitions we're aware of when it comes to food.

Stef handed in her notice before going away and is now working out her notice. She has a flat to go to in a farmhouse outside York. Her possessions will fit into her not very big car- or at least she hopes they will- and she's going to be moving them herself. She has a large collection of shoes. I gave her a shoe rack we're not using any longer for her to display them on.

Comments

[sovay]

Halva is a dry paste made- says Stef- of sunflower seeds and sugar.

I think that's the most popular Eastern European kind. I grew up on halvah made with tahini, sugar, and honey, which is sort of the Middle Eastern default as well as Ashkenazi Jewish. There's one company in the U.S. that makes it; my grandparents always had some around the house. After they died, I used to see it only on rare road trips to New York City, when we stopped at Rein's Deli in Connecticut. Now Mamaleh's in Kendall Square sells it and I always buy a block for myself and a block for my mother. I had no idea it was a sweet I was nostalgic about until I rediscovered it and it turned out I had been missing it after all.

[shewhomust]

Ah, I was going to say 'sesame, not sunflower', so I must have met the same sort as you. It *is* very sweet, but a thin sliver is good with black coffee.

I used to buy it in tins in Paris, because the tins were so decorative, but a tinful was too much to deal with (even though it lasts forever).

[sovay]

I used to buy it in tins in Paris, because the tins were so decorative, but a tinful was too much to deal with (even though it lasts forever).

. . . I can actually eat my way through a block of sesame halvah if I'm not thinking about it, which is why I think about it. Either it's a different recipe or early exposure is critical to the ability to metabolize.

[poliphilo]

I expected honey to be involved, but that doesn't seem to be how they make it in Bulgaria. When I was young I remember buying pastries called baklava which I thought were been made with halva- though maybe it was just honey and nuts.

[sovay]

I expected honey to be involved, but that doesn't seem to be how they make it in Bulgaria.

I'll have to track down some sunflower halva and try it.

When I was young I remember buying pastries called baklava which I thought were been made with halva- though maybe it was just honey and nuts.

I think baklava is just chopped nuts and honey or syrup. The default filling around here seems to be walnut, although if you ask me pistachio is the best.