# Halvah "cheese"? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [October 27, 2004, 6:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/halvah-cheese/271400 "2004-10-27T06:34:40Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Ephemera](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8baadc/32.png) [@Ephemera](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ephemera)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2004, 6:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/halvah-cheese/271400/1 "2004-10-27T06:34:40Z")
Anyone heard of this? And if so, do you know why it’s called cheese? It tastes more like a brick of sand with chocolate and peanut butter mixed in than anything resembling cheese. Hell, looking at the ingredients list (something I should have done before buying it – I was impulsive), I don’t even see anything dairy on it. What gives? ---
**Author:** ![fishbicycle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/aeb1de/32.png) [@fishbicycle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/fishbicycle)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2004, 6:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/halvah-cheese/271400/2 "2004-10-27T06:38:16Z")
I’ve never seen it listed anywhere as cheese. Ain’t no cheese in it. Here’s the story of it: Halva is a confection or sweetmeat originating in the Balkans and eastern Mediterranean regions. It is made from ground sesame seeds, honey or sugar syrup, with other ingredients such as dried fruit, pistachio nuts, farina (semolina), and almonds sometimes added. Cinnamon and cardamom are also frequently added. The ingredients are blended together, and then heated and poured into bars or long loaves. The name means literally ‘sweetmeat’ and various forms of the word may be found in Turkish, Greek, Yiddish, Arabic, etc. (Helva, halva, halvah, halwa, halawi, etc.) ---
**Author:** ![Askance](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/askance/32/8281_2.png) [@Askance](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Askance)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2004, 6:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/halvah-cheese/271400/3 "2004-10-27T06:51:51Z")
> [@Aesiron](#): > > Anyone heard of this? And if so, do you know why it’s called cheese? It tastes more like a brick of sand with chocolate and peanut butter mixed in than anything resembling cheese. Hell, looking at the ingredients list (something I should have done before buying it – I was impulsive), I don’t even see anything dairy on it. What gives? Could you be getting confused with Haloumi, which is indeed cheese? ---
**Author:** ![Ephemera](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8baadc/32.png) [@Ephemera](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ephemera)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2004, 7:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/halvah-cheese/271400/4 "2004-10-27T07:01:47Z")
> [@AndrewT](#): > > Could you be getting confused with Haloumi, which is indeed cheese? Nope. I just looked at the wrapper again to make sure and it is explicitly labeled as “Halvah Marble Cheese” and was in the “gourmet” cheese island at the grocery store alongside the Stiltons, Bries, and Camemberts. It’s the deli label that has it marked as cheese though, not the company label which is, I think, Joyvah – the font’s a little hard to read. For what it’s worth, the ingredients listed on this particular package are: crushed sesame; corn syrup; sugar; vegetable oil; cocoa; chocolate; dried egg albumen; and natural and artificial flavors. Seems I bought one of the plainer varieties. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2004, 3:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/halvah-cheese/271400/5 "2004-10-27T15:00:10Z")
> [@Aesiron](#): > > Nope. I just looked at the wrapper again to make sure and it is explicitly labeled as “Halvah Marble Cheese” and was in the “gourmet” cheese island at the grocery store alongside the Stiltons, Bries, and Camemberts. > > It’s the deli label that has it marked as cheese though, not the company label which is, I think, Joyvah – the font’s a little hard to read. Seems your deli has misinformed you. Halva is great stuff, but it ain’t cheese. ---
**Author:** ![Anaamika](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/5f9b8f/32.png) [@Anaamika](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anaamika)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2004, 3:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/halvah-cheese/271400/6 "2004-10-27T15:31:50Z")
And it’s only good if you make it yourself, at home! Who wants to visit? I think I’ll make some this weekend! ---
**Author:** ![Silentgoldfish](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e36b37/32.png) [@Silentgoldfish](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Silentgoldfish)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2004, 4:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/halvah-cheese/271400/7 "2004-10-27T16:07:55Z")
Tempting, **Elenia** , even with the cost of the plane ticket. I love Halva :). ---
**Author:** ![Anaamika](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/5f9b8f/32.png) [@Anaamika](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anaamika)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2004, 4:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/halvah-cheese/271400/8 "2004-10-27T16:53:21Z")
Brisbane?? Maybe I could ship you some. **wanders off, wondering if halva will go bad on that long of a trip** ---
**Author:** ![bughunter](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/aeb1de/32.png) [@bughunter](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bughunter)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2004, 6:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/halvah-cheese/271400/9 "2004-10-27T18:58:18Z")
Only if it’s a “halva” long trip! ---
**Author:** ![Jpeg\_Jones](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/4bbf92/32.png) [@Jpeg\_Jones](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jpeg_Jones)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2004, 7:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/halvah-cheese/271400/10 "2004-10-27T19:07:13Z")
> [@bughunter](#): > > Only if it’s a “halva” long trip! I’ve got “halva” mind to berate you for that remark. ---
**Author:** ![TellMeI\_mNotCrazy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tellmei_mnotcrazy/32/3419_2.png) [@TellMeI\_mNotCrazy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TellMeI_mNotCrazy)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2004, 7:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/halvah-cheese/271400/11 "2004-10-27T19:14:05Z")
> [@Elenia28](#): > > And it’s only good if you make it yourself, at home! > > Who wants to visit? I think I’ll make some this weekend! I’m there! 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Anaamika](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/5f9b8f/32.png) [@Anaamika](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anaamika)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2004, 8:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/halvah-cheese/271400/12 "2004-10-27T20:35:24Z")
> [@Jpeg Jones](#): > > I’ve got “halva” mind to berate you for that remark. Just berate? They need a beating. That was bad. ---
**Author:** ![Homebrew](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/c89c15/32.png) [@Homebrew](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Homebrew)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2004, 9:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/halvah-cheese/271400/13 "2004-10-27T21:02:19Z")
Perhaps the deli workers mistook halva for havarti. ---
**Author:** ![Jpeg\_Jones](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/4bbf92/32.png) [@Jpeg\_Jones](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jpeg_Jones)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2004, 9:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/halvah-cheese/271400/14 "2004-10-27T21:33:21Z")
“Havarti” ya think we can keep going with this? I “halva” bet going. ---
**Author:** ![Jpeg\_Jones](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/4bbf92/32.png) [@Jpeg\_Jones](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jpeg_Jones)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2004, 9:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/halvah-cheese/271400/15 "2004-10-27T21:43:56Z")
Alright, this has gone "farina"f. ---
**Author:** ![vd](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/b19c9b/32.png) [@vd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/vd)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2004, 10:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/halvah-cheese/271400/16 "2004-10-27T22:40:21Z")
> [@Jpeg Jones](#): > > Alright, this has gone "farina"f. Sez who? ---
**Author:** ![Jpeg\_Jones](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/4bbf92/32.png) [@Jpeg\_Jones](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jpeg_Jones)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2004, 10:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/halvah-cheese/271400/17 "2004-10-27T22:52:47Z")
Sesa_me_. ---
**Author:** ![Rufus\_Xavier](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/eada6e/32.png) [@Rufus\_Xavier](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rufus_Xavier)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2004, 11:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/halvah-cheese/271400/18 "2004-10-27T23:05:30Z")
(sung to the tune of ‘Havah Nagila’) Halvah’s…not cheese Halvah’s…not cheese Halvah’s…not cheese It’s sesame ---
**Author:** ![Ephemera](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8baadc/32.png) [@Ephemera](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ephemera)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2004, 11:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/halvah-cheese/271400/19 "2004-10-27T23:53:08Z")
> [@Elenia28](#): > > And it’s only good if you make it yourself, at home! > > Who wants to visit? I think I’ll make some this weekend! I’ll take your word on it as the stuff I bought was marginal at best. I felt like I was eating a brick of sand and eventually wound up throwing about 3/5th of it in the garbage disposal. ---
**Author:** ![susan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/susan/32/17537_2.png) [@susan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/susan)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2004, 11:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/halvah-cheese/271400/20 "2004-10-27T23:53:43Z")
Oy. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/halvah-cheese/271400.md?page=2)