@TheEdVerse was there halva in the realms? I cant believe this sweet treat hasn't appeared in any of the books I comb through. #ForgottenRealms
— Artie Pavlov is vaccinating, and so should you! (@Artie_Pavlov) July 30, 2021
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Yes, but not by that name, of course.
Here’s the thing: in our world, halva uses all sorts of things as a base (the flour or cornstarch that gets toasted), a variety of things for the syrup it gets cooked in, and a range of… 2)
…added adornments (almonds, walnuts, dates, raisins, apricots and other dried fruits).
In the Realms, all of those differences mean different names for the sweet, though most of them do end up as a very sweet substance that can…#Realmslore— Ed Greenwood (@TheEdVerse) July 30, 2021
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…be pressed into cakes and will keep during all but the warmest months.
So, for instance, the crushed dates and crushed roast tharra (the local name for pistachio nuts) honey syrup and wild rice flour mix known to the Bedine… 4)
…is “vauv,” but the raisin, almond, pecan, and date with coconut milk and durr (semolina) sweet known in Calimshan, Tharsult, and the Tashalar is “mraed.” The many-nuts, many-berries, sesame-based version known in Chessenta, …#Realmslore— Ed Greenwood (@TheEdVerse) July 30, 2021
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…the Vilhon, and Var the Golden is “murrl,” and the walnuts-and-cherries-and-honey variant consumed in Unther, Mulhorand, and Raurin is “tal.” In Thay, the same mixture is “taunthaun.”
In Ulgarth and the Utter East, “taunth” is… 6)
….grain-based, sugar-cane-syrup-cooked halva, and so on. While in Murghôm and Durpar, they wouldn’t dream of making it without hard, old honeycomb. And so it goes, across Faerûn.#Realmslore— Ed Greenwood (@TheEdVerse) July 30, 2021