Sugar Savvy

Halvah can be tricky. Is it a protein spread - in the same family as peanut butter? Is it a fine delicacy from The Middle East and Central Asia? Is it a weird hippie candy? Is it funky-tasting?  Is it delicious? Is it all of the above?

I vote for that that last statement: all of the above.

When I think about it, halvah might be one of the first “candies” that I ever ate. I remember sitting with my Temple Beth Israel pre-schoolmates during snack-time, nibbling this sesame snack with graham crackers (or matzoh) and naturally sweetened grape juice. I’ve enjoyed it in various forms: cellophane-wrapped deli-style like a chunk of cheese; out of a tin can; presented as a condiment to the pancakes we were served daily while working in a concrete factory on a kibbutz in Israel. I’m not making this last one up – and I can tell you that this institutional-style serving of the confection was not treated as any sort of special indulgence. Rather, those kibbutzniks piled on the halvah like it was hummus or peanut butter, in a utilitarian, protein-seeking manner.

Which reminds me of a factoid I once heard, years ago. I was told (as I remember, by one proud Israeli or another) that during the “settling” of Israel, circa 1948, halvah was the main source of protein that was available. My efforts to confirm this fact have been fruitless.  I may have imagined or even dreamt it, to be honest. You know, in one of those recurring pre-Israeli statehood Zionist dreams that I’m always having.

I wouldn’t say that I am a HUGE fan of halvah, but I do enjoy a couple few bites now and again. And if I ever see a fresh, homemade version in a Lebanese or Turkish bakery or sweet shop, I’ll usually pick up a piece or two (along with some nice, fresh Turkish delight, of course). Being that I vehemently eschew the hydrogenated/trans-fats, and that the most ubiquitous offering of halvah where I live is the Joyva brand, which contains a good deal of said fats, it is not so often that I find myself partaking in this confection. I know, I know, I eat sugar (in moderation) daily. But sugar is natural. Yes, it may cause tooth decay, but I can brush the sugar off my teeth after I polish off a handful of candy corn. I cannot, however, brush the Crisco off my arteries

Which leads me (finally) to my most recent and unexpected candy find: Trans fat-free halvah! I wasn’t even looking for it, but on a recent visit to The Daily Grind, one of Portland’s most old school, non-upscale natural food co-ops, I spotted this bar at the checkout stand:

CAMEL BRAND HALVAH.

Turns out that I’m a little slow on the uptake. As you will read on the website, this company has been making halvah since 1906.

Which leads me (further) to a bit of halvah history:

From The Oxford Companion to Food, Alan Davidson [Oxford University Press: Oxford] 1999 (p. 367):

“Halva. Name of a hugely varied range of confections made in the Middle East, Central Asia, and India, derived from the Arabic root hulw, sweet. In 7th century Arabia, the word meant a paste of dates kneaded with milk. By the 9th century, possibly by assimilating the ancient Persian sweetmeat afroshag, it had acquired a meaning of wheat flour or semolina, cooked by frying or toasting and worked into a more or less stiff paste with a sweetening agent such as sugar syrup, date syrup, grape syrup, or honey by stirring the mass together over a gentle heat. Usually a flavouring was added such as nuts, rosewater, or pureed cooked carrots (still a popular flavouring). The finished sweetmeat would be cut into bars or moulded into fanciful shapes such as fish. Halva spread both eastwards and westwards, with the result that is made with a wide variety of ingredients, methods, and flavourings…”

AND….

From The Encyclopedia of American Food and Drink, John F. Mariani [Lebhar-Friedman:New York] 1999 (p. 148)

“Halvah…A confection of mashed sesame seeds and honey. Halvah is of Turkish origin and was first sold in America at the turn of the century by Turkish, Syrian, and Armenian street vendors…The candy soon became a favorite of the Jewish immigrants in New York, and today halvah is still associated with Jewish delicatessens, even though one of the most popular commercial brands still depicts a turbaned Turk on its wrapper. The word was first printed in 1840.”

Phew, enough with the Halvah talk, already.

HALVAH NICE DAY!

If I printed up t-shirts bearing that message, would you wear one?

Just an idea.  Always thinkin’ up new ways to spread the sugar gospel to all.