Hal-a-Vah Treat

Do you have one of those foods? You know, one you grew up eating because it was part of your culture and everyone in your family ate it? Maybe, like me, you know any effort to offer it to others might result in turned up noses, or at least polite No, thank you's. Truth is, if you are Jewish, and you like Jewish food, this is a response you're likely quite familiar with. Have you seen gefilte fish? Even I turn my nose up at what my sister calls mini fish meatloaves. Yuck.

But there's one food, seemingly innocuous based on a list of appealing enough ingredients, that I love and have been hard-pressed to find someone outside my family to enjoy with me. Described on the package as "a sesame treat," Halvah, is a delicious confection with a long history. Popular throughout Europe and Asia, in the Mediterranean and the Middle East, growing up, Jewish kids in New York were eating it in local delis and at their Bubbies' houses during the holidays. It is made from mostly ground sesame paste and sugar. Halvah is packaged or served in bars or blocks. It looks a lot like a block of fudge, but it is not smooth and creamy the way chocolate and dairy fudge are. It has a unique flavor and texture, difficult to describe. The sesame certainly stands out.

I was walking through Publix over the weekend, and as I perused the kosher section and picked up a couple of Israeli candies for my son, I came across the Halvah. A quick glance at the package brought  an undeniable craving. I hadn't had any in a very long time. I playfully snapped a photo and sent it to my mom asking her if it was weird that I had a craving for it. She sent me back a text message. I could hear her laugh with the tone of the message telling me, "You are your mother's daughter." Then she told me she had a bite every day while she was in Israel a few months ago on vacation and has bought some twice since she's been home. Then she added a note, "Bubbie liked it too!"

Family culture is a wonderful thing. I brought my Halvah home and enjoyed it almost as much as the memories it brought of my childhood, and the reminder from my mom how the littlest things connect us right back to the ones we love.

Image retrieved from menially.com