İrmik Helvası

İrmik helvası is a Turkish sweet made by toasting semolina in fat, adding a sweet liquid, and letting it steam. The fine wheat grains color and become fragrant as they toast, then soften and come together as they absorb the liquid. In some methods, pine nuts are toasted along with the semolina.

Toasting the grains and letting them absorb the syrup

Semolina and pine nuts are added to fat melted in a pan and toasted with constant stirring. In a separate pan, sugar is dissolved in water, and this is added to the toasted grains and heated. While the pan rests with the lid on, the grains absorb the liquid and become loose enough to fluff apart. The color and aroma depend on how the grains are toasted, and toasting the grain before adding the liquid is what creates the flavor of this sweet.

In some regions, milk, or both water and milk, is used instead of water. Because the grains are toasted before they absorb liquid, the texture differs from that of sütlaç, in which rice is cooked in milk. Although also called helva, it differs in both ingredients and method from tahini halva, which is made by setting sesame paste.

Sharing one pot

Besides being made for religious holidays, it is also served to mourners after funerals and sometimes shared with neighbors. At a memorial gathering recorded in Antalya as well, irmik helvası is served to guests after the recitation. Because toasting takes a long time, family members sometimes take turns holding a large wooden spoon and stirring while thinking of the person who has died. The helva is made in a large batch, and the finished sweet is shared with relatives and neighbors.

Dilvin Yasa, who lives in Australia, recalls a childhood memory of her mother and aunts taking turns toasting the semolina in the kitchen after the funeral of a family friend, talking about the deceased. She also remembers them shaping the finished sweet with spoons, dividing it into dishes, and handing it to people. A single pot of helva appears at both celebrations and occasions of mourning.

Glossary