Sheki halva
Azerbaijan dessert
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Sheki halva (Azerbaijani: Şəki halvası) or Sheki pakhlava (Azerbaijani: Şəki paxlavası) is a type of dessert specific to the Sheki region of Azerbaijan.
Sheki halva on a round tray | |
| Alternative names | Sheki pakhlava |
|---|---|
| Type | Dessert |
| Place of origin | Azerbaijan |
| Associated cuisine | Azerbaijani and Avar |
| Serving temperature | Warm |
| Main ingredients | |
Origin
The Sheki type of halva is thought to have originated in ancient Mesopotamia.[1]
Origin stories include that it was prepared by cooks of the Sheki khan, who loved sweet desserts and ordered his cooks to make something very sweet.[2] The cooks prepared Sheki halva and it became very popular in this region. Another story explains it halva came via Mashadi Huseyn, a merchant from Tabriz, who came to Sheki and spread the recipe.[2]
Ingredients
Preparation
Sheki pakhlava is made by pastry professionals, known as halvachi, and is not traditionally made at home.[2] It is a daylong process.[2]
Sheki pakhlava has three main parts: the rishta, a thin webbing of dough; the stuffing; and syrup. The rishta is made by pouring kneaded batter onto a hot griddle through a special funnel in with eleven holes, moving it to form a web, and to bake very quickly.[3][4][5]
Stuffing is made of crumbled hazelnuts, ground cardamom and coriander seeds.[1][5] After placing 8–10 rishta layers on a round copper tray, the stuffing is added and then it is covered with 5–10 rishta layers.[5][3] The top layer is decorated with saffron in a square shape reminiscent of shabaka. It is generally baked over charcoal for 10–20 minutes.[3] Hot sherbet syrup is poured on Sheki halva before leaving it to rest over 8–10 hours.[1][3][4]
