What Is Halva? Tahini Halva Explained, and How to Eat It

Halva is a sweet confection whose name comes from the Arabic for “sweet”, and the kind best known in Europe is tahini halva: a firm, crumbly block of sesame paste and sugar that you slice, crumble or spread on warm bread. The same name, also written halawa, halvah, helva or halwa, covers softer sweets too, from semolina halva to Indian carrot halwa. Below: the main types, how tahini halva is made, how to eat and store it, whether it is vegan, and our two Al Nakhla halvas.

What is halva? Where the name comes from

The English word comes, partly through Turkish helva, from the Arabic halwa, a sweet or sweetmeat, and the American Heritage Dictionary traces it to an Arabic verb meaning “to be sweet”. In American English, where it is often spelled halvah, the word arrived through Yiddish and Romanian, says Merriam-Webster. In Arabic, the sesame kind is often called halawa tahiniya, meaning tahini halva. According to TASTE magazine, food historian Ken Albala sees halva broadly as a sweet, fudge-like mixture that can be made from almost any base, which helps explain why one name covers such different sweets.

Types of halva: tahini, semolina and Indian halwa

Most halva belongs to one of three broad families, though recipes vary widely.

Halva vs halwa: is there a difference?

They are the same word, but in English they usually mean different sweets. Dictionaries generally define halva or halvah as the sesame kind, while Oxford Learner’s Dictionaries defines halwa as a sweet food from South Asia made from semolina or carrots. Both come from the same Arabic word, so labels overlap: a Middle Eastern pack may say halawa or halwa and still mean the sesame block.

How tahini halva is made

Methods vary by maker, but commercially, sugar, often with glucose, is cooked with water into a very hot syrup. Many makers, especially in Turkey, add a little extract of boiled soapwort root, called çöven in Turkish; food scientists say its saponins improve the colour and consistency and act as an emulsifier, helping to stop oil seeping out over time. The syrup is then mixed with tahini, often in roughly equal amounts, and beaten and kneaded until the mass forms fine, thread-like strands, which give halva its flaky, melt-in-the-mouth grain.

Our product pages describe Al Nakhla halva as halawa tahiniya made from tahina (sesame paste) and sugar, with glucose and a stabiliser of vegetable origin. They don’t say how it is made or name the stabiliser, so check the pack label for the full ingredients. For the paste itself, see our guide to what tahini is and our Tahini Sesame Paste, in our pantry range.

Our Al Nakhla halva: plain and pistachio

Both come from Halwani Bros in Saudi Arabia as a 3-pack of 320g packs (960g in all): one for the kitchen and two for the cupboard, as our pages put it. Find them in our sweets and bakery range.

• Al Nakhla Plain Halva: sweet, nutty sesame flavour with a dense, crumbly, melt-in-the-mouth texture. Our page describes it as the halva found on breakfast tables across the Arab world. Contains sesame.
• Al Nakhla Pistachio Halva: tahini halva studded with pistachio pieces for a nutty crunch and aroma. Contains sesame and nuts (pistachio).

How to eat halva

Our product pages suggest three classic ways: spread on warm bread or pitta, crumbled over yoghurt, porridge or ice cream, or sliced and served with tea or Arabic coffee. A few more ideas:

• On toast with date syrup: crumble a slice over hot toast so it softens a little, then add a thin drizzle of Basra Date Syrup. Our guide to date syrup covers its classic pairing with tahini.
• With fruit: serve thin slices with fresh figs, pear or apple.
• At breakfast: put a block on the table with warm flatbread, cheese, olives and a pot of tea, and let everyone help themselves.
• With tea or coffee: a small slice suits a strong glass of black tea such as Alwazah Swan Cardamom Tea (see our Turkish tea glasses guide), or gahwa made with Madina Arabic Coffee, traditionally served black, without milk or sugar.
• In bakes: fold small pieces through brownie batter before baking.

Cut it with a sharp knife, pressing straight down rather than sawing, as the edges break into flakes. Every idea here contains sesame.

Halva for Ramadan and Eid

Halva is one of many sweets on Ramadan and Eid tables, and our product pages suggest it for both. Ready to slice, it is an easy offering for Eid visitors with dates and Arabic coffee, alongside maamoul. Ramadan 2027 is expected to begin in the UK on Monday 8 February, depending on the moon sighting; see our Ramadan 2027 guide.

Is halva vegan? Allergens to know

Often, but not always. Tahini halva is usually made from tahini, sugar or glucose and sometimes a plant root extract; in Greece, where it is the classic sweet of Clean Monday and Lent, the newspaper To Vima notes that it contains no animal ingredients. But recipes vary: some halvas are made with honey or egg white, semolina halva is often cooked with butter, and Indian halwa with ghee. Our product pages list both Al Nakhla halvas as vegan and dairy-free, with a stabiliser of vegetable origin and no dairy or eggs. Always check the pack label.

Allergens: tahini halva always contains sesame, one of the 14 allergens that must be clearly labelled in the ingredients of prepacked food in the UK. Pistachio halva also contains pistachios, which the Food Standards Agency lists among the tree nuts. Some halva is made in factories that also handle other allergens, so read any “may contain” warning; the FSA says there is no specific legal requirement to use one, so its absence is no guarantee.

How to store halva

• Before opening: keep it in a cool, dry place away from direct sunlight, as our Al Nakhla pages advise. GOV.UK explains that best before dates relate to quality, not safety, and that the label tells you how to store the food.
• After opening: keep the pack sealed and eat it within a few weeks, as our pages say. If the pack won’t reseal, wrap the halva tightly or move it to an airtight container.
• Oil on the surface: a little sesame oil can seep out over time. Food scientists describe this as a known problem with tahini halva, made worse by warm storage, and one halva maker, Seed + Mill, calls it nothing to worry about. Blot it with kitchen paper or trim the oily edge.
• Freezing: Seed + Mill advises against it, as defrosting may damage the flaky texture. Follow the pack if it says otherwise.

After the best before date, GOV.UK says you can use sight, smell and taste to decide whether to eat something; if halva smells stale or rancid, or shows any mould, throw it away. We deliver to UK addresses only: Standard delivery usually takes 3–5 working days and Express 1–2 working days, both from dispatch (working days are Monday to Saturday, excluding UK bank holidays); see our delivery information.

Frequently asked questions

What is halva made of?

Tahini halva, the firm kind sold in blocks, is made mainly from tahini (ground sesame paste) and a hot sugar syrup, often with glucose and, in many traditional recipes, a little soapwort root extract. Semolina halva is semolina or flour cooked with butter or oil and syrup, and Indian halwa is made from semolina, carrots or lentils cooked with ghee. Our Al Nakhla halva is made with tahina, sugar and glucose.

What does halva taste like?

Tahini halva tastes sweet and nutty, with the toasty flavour of sesame. The texture is dense and crumbly, with fine, flaky strands that melt in the mouth, a little like a dry fudge. Pistachio halva adds crunchy nut pieces. Semolina halva is softer and can be served warm, and Indian halwa is soft and buttery from the ghee, often scented with cardamom.

Where does halva come from?

Nobody knows for certain. The word is Arabic, from a root meaning sweet, and many countries from the Balkans to India claim it as their own; a 2013 scientific review concluded that it is impossible to tell where halva was first created. Sesame halva has long been made in the Middle East and North Africa, and it is a traditional sweet in Turkey and Greece.

Is halva gluten-free?

Tahini halva is usually made without flour, but our product pages do not describe our Al Nakhla halvas as gluten-free, and some brands are made in factories that also handle wheat, so check the pack label if you need to avoid gluten. Semolina halva, Indian sooji halwa and most flour halvas contain wheat, a cereal containing gluten: semolina is milled from hard wheat such as durum.

Does halva need to be refrigerated?

Usually not. Our Al Nakhla pages say to store it in a cool, dry place away from direct sunlight, keep the pack sealed once opened and use it within a few weeks. Warmth encourages oil to seep out, so in a hot kitchen the fridge can help; let chilled halva come back to room temperature before serving. If a pack’s label gives different advice, follow the label.