Turkish Butter Pulled Halva (Cekme Helva) 280g, Flour-Based

This is Turkish butter pulled halva — known in Turkish as tereyagli cekme helva — a flour-based layered sweet from Kastamonu in northern Turkey, with roots in Ottoman-era confectionery. It is not a tahini or sesame halva. Instead, sugar syrup is cooked and then repeatedly pulled together with roasted wheat flour and butter until it forms fine, fibrous layers, which are pressed and cut into soft cubes that melt in the mouth.

The flavor is warm and toasted, closer to shortbread than to sesame paste — an effect of browning wheat flour in real butter. Butter makes up about 16% of the recipe, which gives it its rich character and tender, layered bite.

What makes this one different

• Flour-based, not sesame — the cekme helva (un helvasi) family, with a delicate pulled-layer texture
• Made with real butter (around 16% of the recipe)
• Glucose-free — sweetened with beet sugar rather than glucose syrup
• No preservatives or additives beyond a small amount of citric acid (E330) as an acidity regulator
• 280g box, ready to eat straight from the package

How to enjoy it

Serve a cube or two alongside strong Turkish tea or coffee, or as a light dessert after a meal. The clean white-and-gold box also makes it an easy gift for anyone who appreciates traditional Turkish sweets. It travels well, which is why it reaches homes from the United States and Canada to the UK, Germany, the Netherlands, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, and the UAE.

Ingredients & allergens

Ingredients: wheat flour, sugar, butter (16%), acidity regulator (citric acid, E330).

Allergen note: contains gluten (wheat) and butter (milk). May contain traces of pistachio, hazelnut, and almond. Store in a cool, dry place away from direct sunlight, with the package kept closed.