Regular Halva

All over Greece, there is just a huge selection of halvah.  For those that are unfamiliar with this dessert, it's a sweet found mostly in and around the Mediterranean, most often it is made with sesame paste, but as I've learned there are more varieties of the stuff than you can possibly imagine.  Halvah is really a mystery food for me, as a kid I knew about it in the standard North American form (pictured above), but since moving to Greece and traveling around, I've discovered so many versions of this treat with a vast range of textures and flavours.  The strange thing is, I've sampled probably several dozen different halvahs, and the inexpensive store brand stuff is still my favorite.  This cheap stuff is very similar to the stuff you find in most places in North America.  Maybe I like it because it's familiar, or maybe I like it because it often comes with a chocolate flavouring.  That still isn't going to stop me from sampling many more.

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My New Obsession With Halvah

I used to only think of Halvah as this gritty chocolate or almond dessert that was often found in Jewish bakeries.  Over the last few months in Greece I've learned that Halvah is really so much more than that.  It's not just a dry cake like substance.  Sometimes it's gelatinous with a citrus flavour, sometimes it's almost like a jelly cake.  The flavour range and texture range is spectacular.  All over the place I'm discovering new recipes and new flavours.  It's not a very pretty looking dessert most of the time, but it's always tasty.  It's also always surprising, particularly in the texture department.  I think I have a new obsession.

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