Thursday walnut halva, which has been sweetening the palate in the province for centuries and has been registered as a geographical indication by the Turkish Patent and Trademark Office in recent years, is known as an ‘energy store’ with the nutritional values it contains. Halva, which contains soapwort root, licorice root, lemon salt, plenty of walnuts and sugar, is preferred by tourists especially in the summer months and consumed abundantly by citizens in the winter months. Some citizens put halva in bread and consume it that way.
“IT IS PREFERRED BECAUSE IT KEEPES WARM IN WINTER”
Hacı Gürdal, who has been producing walnut halva for about 45 years, said, “The main ingredient of this halva is sugar, and the juice of soapwort root and licorice root, which gives the whiteness. While it is boiling, lemon salt is also added. It is especially loved in winter months, it keeps people warm in cold weather. It contains plenty of walnuts, and walnuts have many benefits. Halva softens a little in summer and hardens in winter. “We produce according to weather conditions,” he said.
“THE PROFESSION IS DISAPPEARING”
Stating that he is the 3rd generation in halva production, which was the grandfather’s profession, Gürdal said, “There were many halva makers before, now there are 2-3 halva makers left. It has become a profession that is gradually disappearing. People nowadays don’t want to deal with halva. “Our main customers are expats, those who know them buy them in bulk when they go to different provinces,” he said.
“I THINK IT SHOULD BE CONSUMED ONCE A WEEK”
A citizen named Şenel Çelik said, “I love this halva so much, I buy it whenever I go to the market. This feature keeps people warm during the winter months. It tastes very good and the aroma of the walnuts is delicious. “I think it is necessary to consume it at least once a week,” he said.
Saying that they love halva very much, Emine Karadeniz stated that the walnuts in it are natural and that they enjoy consuming this product because it keeps them warm in winter.
İdris Bayram, who said that he bought halva while going to Istanbul, where he resides, explained that they ate this halva whenever they had the opportunity.
UAV