Okyay Vanilla Tahini Halva – Turkish Sesame Halva 360 g

Tahini halva is one of Turkey's oldest confections, and Okyay has been making it in Istanbul since 1948. This vanilla variety is exactly what that tradition looks like in its simplest, cleanest form. The halva is built on a base of sesame paste — a thick, toasted paste made from 100% sesame seeds — combined with sugar and bound with saponaria root extract, a plant-derived agent used in traditional Turkish helva production to create the characteristic flaky, layered grain. Vanilla aroma rounds the flavour without dominating it. The result is a pale, off-white block with a crumbly, melt-in-the-mouth texture: rich, nutty, gently sweet, with a faint floral note from the vanilla. Okyay states this product contains no glucose syrup and no preservatives — only the core ingredients that define traditional paddle-style helva. Ingredients (as listed by Okyay): sesame paste (55.27%), sugar, emulsifier (mono- and diglycerides of fatty acids, E471), saponaria root extract, acidity regulator (citric acid, E330), natural vanilla aroma. Allergen: Contains sesame. Produced in a facility that handles sesame. This pack is 360 g, presented in a clear plastic tub with a sleeve label. How to serve it In Turkish households, tahini halva appears at the breakfast table alongside bread, cheese, and a glass of tea. Break off a piece and eat it as-is, or press it onto warm bread. It pairs naturally with black tea or Turkish coffee — the slight bitterness of coffee cuts the sweetness cleanly. It also works as a simple after-dinner dessert, or crumbled over plain yoghurt for a contrast of textures. Some recipes call for slicing or cubing halva and serving it with a drizzle of honey or a few walnut halves. It keeps well at room temperature in a cool, dry place; for longer storage, refrigerate in the sealed tub. About Okyay Okyay is an Istanbul-based tahini and halva manufacturer founded in 1948. The brand produces halva, tahini, and molasses using traditional methods, and its products are sold across Turkey and internationally.