Halva

What is it!?

Halva -- from Arabic حلوى (ḥalwā).
-- A confection usually made from crushed sesame seeds and honey. It is a traditional dessert in India, the Mediterranean, the Balkans, and the Middle East.

Lucy favored this sweetie something fierce. She could always get it at the corner stores in New Haven, Connecticut where she grew up.

Chuck and Lucy, with kids in tow, left New Haven for York, Pennsylvania and Daddy’s first teaching gig at York Country Day School. From there, we moved to Peapack-Gladstone, New Jersey and Saint Bernard’s School. Halva, back then, was an exotic treat. Foreign. Only found in urban neighborhoods. There was none to be had in these small rural-ish towns.

Lucy

We, Mommy, Daddy and us kiddles, were back in New Haven visiting family and friends. I must have been around five. Mother had waxed rhapsodic, sung odes and just went full metal Tarantella on the glories of this treat. I was, naturally, way psyched to try it.

Me, Pop and Carol

We were in a small corner store, close to where she’d grown up, when the opportunity came. Halva was sold right there at the cash register. She bought a packet, unwrapped it and held it to my little mouth with all the solemn pomp of a communion wafer’s presentation.

I’d expected something along the lines of marshmallows, maybe chocolate, certainly buttercream frosting or, better still, frosting covered, chocolate coated marshmallows.

Em...no. To my tiny palate it tasted of sugared, sand infused sawdust. Ewwwww!

Fast forward to me in my 40s, at a small deli in the Brighton section of Boston. There it was, sunflower halva, right up by the front counter. Filled with nostalgia, I had to try it again. I did -- this time I loved it. Yes, a tiny bit grainy but at the same time, smooth and not overly sweet. Heavenly. Wonderful.

I understand Lucy’s love of halva. I get it now.

Now, even if your local Piggly Wiggly doesn’t carry it (check the kosher section, if they have one) everything and anything can be found on line. Hell, you can order halva through Amazon.com.

The world gets smaller and smaller.