{"id":8662,"date":"2026-10-27T13:27:30","date_gmt":"2026-10-27T04:27:30","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/parade.kyoto\/?post_type=sweetlore&p=8662"},"modified":"2026-10-31T18:51:53","modified_gmt":"2026-10-31T09:51:53","slug":"irmik-helvas","status":"publish","type":"sweetlore","link":"https:\/\/parade.kyoto\/en\/sweetlore\/irmik-helvas\/","title":{"rendered":"\u0130rmik Helvas\u0131"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

\u0130rmik helvas\u0131 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.<\/p>\n

\"An
An example of shelled pine nuts. Location unknown. Photo: Saintfevrier \/ Source<\/a> \/ CC BY-SA 3.0<\/a>. Image used as provided by the source; no content modifications after retrieval.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"Uncooked
An example of semolina. Left: uncooked; right: toasted. Photographed in 2020, location unknown. Photo: PilotChicago \/ Source<\/a> \/ CC BY-SA 4.0<\/a>. No content modifications after retrieval.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Toasting the grains and letting them absorb the syrup<\/h2>\n

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.<\/p>\n

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 s\u00fctla\u00e7<\/a>, in which rice is cooked in milk. Although also called helva, it differs in both ingredients and method from tahini halva<\/a>, which is made by setting sesame paste.<\/p>\n

\"\u0130rmik
\u0130rmik helvas\u0131 served in a dish. 2015, location unknown. Photo: E4024 \/ Source<\/a> \/ CC BY-SA 4.0<\/a>. Downscaled version from the source; no content modifications after retrieval.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Sharing one pot<\/h2>\n

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 helvas\u0131 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.<\/p>\n

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.<\/p>\n

Glossary<\/h2>\n

Semolina<\/strong>: Coarsely ground wheat. In Turkish it is called irmik.<\/p>

Dilvin Yasa<\/strong>: A writer who has written about memories of her family’s memorial table.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

\u0130rmik helvas\u0131 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.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"featured_media":7907,"menu_order":433,"template":"","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_parade_sweetlore_meta":{"en":"\u0130rmik helvas\u0131","subtitle":"Ingredients and Preparation of \u0130rmik Helvas\u0131","topics":"Toasting semolina and pine nuts in fat \/ Adding a sweet liquid and letting it steam \/ How water or milk changes the texture of the grain","country":"T\u00fcrkiye (various regions)","show_toc":true,"ingredients":["nuts","grain"],"texture":[],"occasion":[],"method":[],"season":[]},"footnotes":""},"sweetlore_category":[164],"class_list":["post-8662","sweetlore","type-sweetlore","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry"],"acf":{"sweetlore_related_products":null,"sweetlore_related_faqs":null,"sweetlore_related_voices":null,"sweetlore_related_mode":"auto","sweetlore_related_articles":null},"aioseo_notices":[],"aioseo_head":"\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t