Boy, this halva comment of Cid’s brought lots of discussion! Interesting about the South Africa connection. This is what I love about blogging! All this great information. I am so appreciative of this lively group I have here.

Yeah, I know — #1 is pretty disgusting, but that’s the kind of icky stuff we’re getting in processed food.

Hope all is well with you and your family!
xo

We’re on the same page as Cid (see comment above) is the expert in the cheese and deli shop that you’re referring to. She’s in England though. And you’re so right about the nutrition of sesame seeds. I grind mine in a coffee grinder. Same with flax and chia seeds.

Thanks for your comments! I really appreciate your input.

Although I read your report on halva some time ago, I’m just now getting around to responding. I’m always a few steps behind! Thank you for the information. I’m definitely going to check in on Greek halva. Must try some before my visit so I can compare American Greek halva to British Greek halva. A touch ironic, but fun nonetheless!

xo

So sorry I have been absent lately. I see I have been missing all sorts of good stuff over here!

The potluck is such a brilliant idea. Perfect way for you to share all the good informative stuff always found here. Although, frankly, I could have seriously gone without the information in #1. That is nasty! Sadly, I find the more information I read about processed food the more affirmation I receive that maintaining a seasonal plant based diet is the absolute right thing to do.

Btw – halva is big in South Africa too. One of my brother in law’s favorite snacks. But, he loves sweets so all that honey is right up his alley

Best wishes for a fantastic first week of summer!

all the best
stephanie

The only thing with this type of halva is that it is extremely sweet so I don’t know how useful it may be for a pie crust. If the cheesecake base is the crushed biscuity type then a little of this mixed in might be nice. I made some Turkish delight recently and it occurred to me to roll it in crushed halve instead of icing sugar. I think from the comments I’ve had over the years that this is a sweet you absolutely love or really dislike, nothing much in between. See if your local deli can get you some Greek halva which is definitely gf…. if not then we’ll just have to wait until you visit when we’ll gorge ourselves on the stuff

Cid

Thank you! This actually sounds wonderful to me. Sliced and cubed? Interesting. I’ve never heard of halva. Could you grind it up in a food processor and use it for a cheesecake crust? Add a little butter and press the ground halva into the pie plate? Top with cheesecake mixture and bake? What do you think? I’m always looking for good gluten-free ingredients for pie crusts.

I always appreciate your wordly culinary talents!

Melissa

Halva is made in the Middle East and in places like Greece and India. The one I like most is the sesame seed sweet. It’s like pounded seeds mixed with a syrup of sorts or honey to hold the whole thing together. Some people don’t like the rather sandy dry texture but I love it. Comes in blocks that can be sliced and cubed…. can also be crushed and sprinkled onto desserts and cake. There are chocolate swirly versions, vanilla and my favourite, pistachio. Big on calories no doubt but delicious. My customers fall into two camps, those who can’t resist it and those who hate the texture. Good news is it’s gf but never seems to state that… perhaps it’s made in places where there are other products which do contain gluten?

Cid

Great comment from you! Yes, similar to your “roundups.” It’s a great way to throw several random thoughts together and call it a blog post!

By the way, I absolutely love your roasted chickpea recipe! It’s one of my all-time favorites of yours. What a great idea. Thanks for the reminder!

You’re welcome! And thanks for leaving a comment. Yes, it’s amazing the nutritional value we can get from whole foods. And when we get our vitamins and minerals from high quality food sources, they’re often more bio-available to our bodies.