Avraham Kosher Bakery

Halva is the name of a "hugely varied range of confections," states the The Oxford Companion to Food, "derived from the Arabic root 'hulw', sweet." In the United States, halvas made from sesame seeds, especially by Brooklyn-based Joyva, are the best-known.

Much rarer is this style of semolina-based halva (about 65 cents per piece, at $12 per pound), made here by Bukharian Jews of Uzbek descent. (The photo with the edge-on view shows a halva of similar make, in an unlabeled container at a Rego Park grocery, provenance unknown.) Bits of almond and walnut, but not pistachio, are embedded within; I imagine that cardamom takes credit for the greenish-gold coloration. It's sweeter than the sesame-based stuff (how could it not be?) and to my taste more tempting. It's also much less messy to divvy up, should you be so inclined.

Avraham Kosher Bakery
7315 Main St. (73rd-75th Aves.), Kew Gardens Hills, Queens
718-969-1074