Halva (or halawa, xalwo, haleweh, ħelwa, halvah, halava, helava, helva, halwa, halua, aluva, chalva, chałwa) refers to many types of dense, sweet confections, served across the Middle East, South Asia, Central Asia, West Asia, North Africa, the Horn of Africa, the Balkans, Eastern Europe, Malta and the Jewish world.
The term halva (Arabic: حلوى / ALA-LC: ḥalwà), meaning "sweet", is used to describe two types of desserts:
Halva may also be based on numerous other ingredients, including sunflower seeds, various nuts, beans, lentils, and vegetables such as carrots, pumpkins, yams, and squashes.
The word halva entered the English language between 1840 and 1850 from the Yiddish halva. The latter term came from Bulgarian, which in turn came from the Turkish helva, a word which itself ultimately derived from the Arabic ḥalwā, meaning sweet confection. The Arabic root حلوى ḥalwā means "sweet".
Most types of halva are relatively dense confections sweetened with sugar or honey. Their textures, however, vary. For example, semolina-based halva is gelatinous and translucent, while sesame-based halva is drier and more crumbly.