Editing Halva (section)

===India===
[[File:Halva1.jpg|thumb|200px|Some assorted Indian halva including ''sooji halva'' (diamond shapes), ''chana halva'' (light circles), and ''gajar halva'' (dark circles)]]
[[File:Sooji Halwa (Semolina Pudding).JPG|thumb|200px|Sooji halwa made from semolina or sooji]]
India has many types of halva, some unique to particular regions of the country. It is one of the popular sweets of India usually made from semolina.<ref>{{cite book|title=The book of Hindu festivals and ceremonies|last=Bahadur|first=Om Lata|isbn=81-86112-23-5|publisher=UBS Publishers Distributors ltd.|year=1996|location=New Delhi|edition=3rd|page=[https://archive.org/details/bookofhindufesti0000baha/page/172 172]|url=https://archive.org/details/bookofhindufesti0000baha/page/172}}</ref>

The town of [[Bhatkal]] in [[Karavali|Coastal Karnataka]] is famous for its unique banana halwa which is infused with either whole cashews, pistachio or almonds. This type of authentic halwa is a specialty of the Muslims of this town. The Udupi cuisine has halwa made from banana, wheat, ashgourd, and jackfuit.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://hebbarskitchen.com/ash-gourd-halwa-kashi-halwa/|title=ash gourd halwa recipe kashi halwa kushmanda halwa dumroot halwa|date=February 12, 2019 |publisher=Hebbar's Kitchen|access-date=22 March 2024}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://udupi-recipes.com/2017/06/jackfruit-halwa-recipe-seasonal-dessert.html|title=jackfruit halwa recipe seasonal dessert|date=June 3, 2017 |publisher=Udupi recipes|access-date=22 March 2024}}</ref>

It is speculated that halva (or halwa) is associated with Indian traditions and culture. Written records of sweets from [[Manasollasa|Mānasollāsa]] mention a sweet called ''shali-anna'', a type of semolina halwa which is today known as [[kesari bat|kesari]] in South India.<ref>{{Cite web
   |url=https://archive.org/stream/IndianFoodTraditionAHistoricalCompanionAchayaK.T./Indian%20Food%20Tradition%20A%20Historical%20Companion%20Achaya%20K.T._djvu.txt
   |title=Full text of "Indian Food Tradition A Historical Companion Achaya K. T."
   |website=archive.org |access-date=January 30, 2019}}</ref>

[[Tirunelveli district|Tirunelveli]] in Tamil Nadu is known for its wheat halwa. Its preparation is a laborious process that "is slowly seeing this sweet disappear." Unlike other sweets, the extra ghee is not drained out but forms an outer layer. This increases the shelf life of the halwa. Locals attribute the unique taste of the halwa to the water of the [[Thamirabarani River|Thamirabarani]].<ref>{{Cite web
|url=https://food.ndtv.com/food-drinks/tirunelveli-halwa-tamil-nadus-legendary-red-wheat-halwa-you-need-to-try-1719204
|title=Tirunelveli Halwa: Tamil Nadu's Legendary Red Wheat Halwa You Need to Try |website=NDTV Food
|first=Ashwin  |last=Rajagopalan  |date=May 10, 2018
|access-date=August 20, 2019}}</ref>
[[File:Black Halwa, Kerala.jpg|thumb|upright|Black halwa from Kerala]]
The history of [[Kozhikode|Kozhikode Halwa]] in [[Kerala]] could trace back to [[Zamorin of Calicut|Zamorin era]]. Zamorin invited chefs from [[Gujarat]] to prepare halwa for their royal feast.<ref>{{Cite web
|url=https://www.onmanorama.com/food/foodie/2020/02/15/kozhikode-calicut-halwa-food-history.html
|title=kozhikode-calicut-halwa-food-history |website=www.onmanorama.com }}</ref> They were also granted places to stay beside royal kitchen. This settlement later evolved as sweet sellers street, nowadays known as [[S. M. Street|SM (Sweet Meat) Street]] or [[S. M. Street|Mittayitheruvu]].<ref>{{Cite news
|url=https://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/kozhikode/a-sweet-place-in-their-hearts/article22199237.ece
|title=a-sweet-place-in-their-hearts |newspaper=The Hindu |date=December 22, 2017 |last1=Basheer |first1=K. p m. }}</ref> Kozhikode halwa is made of pure coconut oil, not from ghee. Kozhikode halwa also builds religious harmony; [[Ayyappan|Ayyappa]] devotees from neighboring states [[Karnataka]] and [[Andhra Pradesh]] buy halwa and chips like prasadam (sacred food). They distribute them among their neighbors and friends, who consume them with a religious zeal.<ref>{{Cite news
|url=https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/kerala/kozhikodan-halwas-religious-flavour/article7982580.ece
|title=kozhikodan-halwas-religious-flavour |newspaper=The Hindu |date=December 13, 2015 |last1=Naha |first1=Abdul Latheef }}</ref>