Halva, which comes in Arabic as 'sweet', is derived from the word 'hulviyyat', which generally expresses sweetness. For this reason, there is a difference between the halva in the Arab cuisine culture and the halva in the Ottoman. The Arabs use helva as the main title of the desserts. In Turkish, the word "halva" also has the same effect.
Halva's first place in the world is known for the Middle East and Balkan countries. It is possible to see helvay everywhere the Turks, Arabs and Jewish communities live. The Turks met with halva, accepting Islam and starting with the approach to Arabic culture. Halva in the Ottoman Empire gave it cultural value to be an ordinary food product.
There is a very rich, powerful and impressive culture. It is the only food that starts from the birth of man and continues to eat in his name even after he has died. We are consuming halva for various reasons. Halva is always present as a dessert which is distributed to friends and fathers in the feast of weddings, in the meals which are eaten with the guests who are invited to marriage during holidays, at births, on deaths, on the way to soldiers, Briefly sharing your grief, whatever the reason for sharing your love, friends and relatives eat a plate of halva. According to Ottoman traditions and customs, it was almost necessary to helva for his important event. Keyfin was a sweet that was cooked and consumed in honor of victory in the battle of joy, science, culture, poetry, song, song, celebration, celebration, birth in harem, celestial shahzadenin.
Halva throughout history
For centuries, in the Anatolian lands, in the Ottoman Empire period, and nowadays, the rich Turkish cuisine has never been as popular as any food product, halva, and has not entered society life. A tradition has been formed around helvan which is one of the indispensable tastes of Anatolian culinary cultures, which means the birthday death and many special days in human life. In Anatolia, when we mean death, we say "When will we eat the halva of our father" or when we are cursed, it is said "yes". Many halos are naturally present in our cry.
Evliya Çelebi tells that the soldiers also organized halva conversation when they are not complicated. Against the possibility of attack by the enemy, the ditches are illuminated by the torches, then the ilmen are stolen and sung, and the mehter's team is joined by joining and zurnay. Evliya Çelebi counts the qualities of a good Muslim to eat sweet. They say that the placards of the hadiths such as "Mumin helva is like" are hanging on the walls of the shops, which they do not drop from the tongues of sugar and helvacılar.
Halva conversations
In Anatolia, especially when there were no kahves, people were socializing at the guest house. The townspeople gathered at the guesthouse and put out a joke on the rest of their daily work. During this conversation, besides tea, the main catering was 'wire helva', which was made by seven or eight people. The other name of this type of halva is "Pişmaniye". I mean, "A regret that eats, a regret that does not eat" ...
Halva conversations and ceremonies are as far as Mevlana. Helva expresses patience in the Mevlevi teaching. In the Masnavi, sweet is also called helvad.
These meetings, which were held with the prominent people of the society and their relatives in the early periods, then spread among the middle class people and became tradition over time. Although the halva conversations organized by the leading members of the society in the big houses were passed away in a ceremony far away from sincerity, the halva talks held among the middle-class people passed in an intimate and cheerful environment. Halva conversations were usually held on Friday evenings.
The leaders of the state, the rich, the middle class, the craftsman, each class organized talks of halva around them. At these meetings 20-30 kinds of sweet and salty foods were consumed in a mixed order. From time to time, the sultan himself organized talks of halva. Letters to be invited for the chat were also sent under the name of "invitation to halva chat". Top-level statesmen, as well as the Grand Vizier, attended the chats held at the palace. In addition, Devrin was the most famous poets, historians, scientists, craftsmen and respected names, permanent guests of the palace halva talks. In Halva conversations new ideas are formed, scientific discussions are made, new searches in culture and art have been developed.
During the Ottoman Empire period, the most magnificent tales of halva were built in Tulip Era. During this period Sultan III. Ahmed and the Grand Vizier Damat Ibrahim Pasha, as well as deputies, wealthy, all noble palaces, hosted halva talks, invited famous and respected people. Damat Ibrahim Pasha's halva conversations were often attended by the sultan.Nedim, the poet of the Tulip Revolution, is Sultan III. Ahmed's and Grand Vizier Damat Ibrahim Pasha's present talks were always ready. The appearance of Nedim as an important poet in the history of literature has also been influenced by the halva talks held in the palace. Music and poetry are important items of conversation. Fifty-person singing ensemble concerts, especially the famous poets of the invited period, the sultan, the grand vizier, the other viziers, and they won prizes. These invited invitations were also invited by professional imitators, meddahs, comedians, and macaques. The grand vizier Damat İbrahim Pasha organized halva talks occasionally in honor of the foreign ambassadors in order to show the Ottoman richness and the power of the stranger. The elders have become more and more frequent and spectacular feasts, luring themselves to show their fortunes.
Removal of artisan guilds in Istanbul in 1913, II. The conclusion of the Abdülhamid period and the end of the adoption of the western lifestyle more appropriately by the Istanbulites over time, talks of halva fell from the eye.
Result
Sweet words everywhere in the world always conjure good things, happiness. Halva, an indispensable part of the palace cuisine, has now become one of the traditional tastes that are now forgotten due to changing consumer habits.
Sometimes it is the partner of the joys, and sometimes the sad ones ... At birth, in death, in the homestead or in the transition, in the knot in the association, the patient is cooked and distributed in the healing of the wife. Beyond being a flavor that sweetens the plumage, it is actually a sociological halva. It means more than one food. Life is sometimes peace, happiness, sometimes death ...
