By Nicolas Bard

Halvas like sweet first appeared in her years Turkish occupationand it was a dish that they usually gave to weddings, festivals and bazaars.
The root of the word is Arabic and means “sweet”. He became well known in Thessaly with the arrival of the Turks in the area in 1393, and in less than 50 years Larissa had some of the most famous Halva laboratories. Was highlighted as sweet of Farsalbecause there were the best craftsmen in all of Thessaly! The process of production requires special handling, and the Farseilles have a way, but also the passion and continue to pass the “secret” of success from generation to generation. And what is this notorious secret that makes Halva Farsala so special?

According to good halvatzas, the secret to a successful halva is in baking, as well as at the time the materials are thrown. Its good baking halva lasts at least one hour. In the beginning, the halvatzides made three types of halva: “Pirinds”, “Party” and “soap”. The “Pirins” was mainly made with ground rice and sugar, the “party” was made in pieces of lukoumia and was white, while the halva “soap” with butter, and is more popular than the other two. There were also two other varieties of halva, the sesame sesame seeds or straws, starch and sugar, and the “lounge” who was delicious, but because they were hard enough, his preparation was stopped in 1920.

Masters who make authentic halva are completely specialized. The cauldron they use is made of copper to withstand high temperatures, and all work is done solely by hand. They start from the syrup, with water and sugar, and as soon as it boils, they throw the niches and then stir. As soon as it starts to thicken, the butter is added slowly, followed by a 20 -minute stir. This sweet cannot be done in the oven! It still requires good quality butter and avoiding seed oil, as it then causes burning to the throat, while the next day it is not eaten…

In the early 1960s travelers From Athens to Thessaloniki They stopped in Farsala to buy halva. She was a golden time for Farsalin Halva and the workshops were working 24/7 to be able to serve the world.

From 1966 onwards, with the opening of the new Athens – Thessaloniki Highway, the great crisis for Halva Farsala began. The city from where it was a passing through the passers -by, suddenly passed into obscurity, and for travelers the bypass was now difficult.

However, Halvas remains one of the most beloved sweets and has now spread throughout the country. There were many craftsmen who tried to “imitate” the Farsalian masters, but the Halva of the Farsala remains unbeatable, while the locals are still struggling to this day, to be guaranteed as a product of origin.