A Halva Renaissance
While halva is part of Polish tradition, it has somehow been forgotten over the years, relegated to holidays and overlooked by contemporary consumers as something to be enjoyed every day. But not anymore because halva is back! The sesame based confection is experiencing a revival, with new formats reaching a new, younger demographic.
Halva: new formats, same handmade tradition
While our customers’ expectations concerning the taste and quality of our halva have remained unchanged over the years, they do however, have different demands when it comes to the format of the snack itself and when and where they want to enjoy it. Today, our Mini halva—all the goodness of our traditional halva shrunk down into bite-size portions—is gaining popularity. What’s behind the change? Contemporary expectations of what snacks should look like have shifted. [1].
Customers want quick, convenient snacks that they can toss in their bags before leaving the house, whether to be consumed on break from work or school, or during outdoor activities. Additionally, consumers today are more aware of portion size. Notably, Mini halva also helps solve the problem of storing leftovers, which can easily crumble once put back into a bag or backpack. The contemporary format and design of our new Mini halva also attracts a younger audience by signaling to them that this isn’t their grandparents’ halva (even if it’s still made the same way!).
The Importance of manual production
And it’s how our halva is made that maintains its popularity across generations. Unitop is renowned for our hand-kneaded halva. The mass from tahini is mixed with the other ingredients using special oar-like paddles, by our experienced confectioners. Key to maintaining the integrity of the final product, the process of manual paddling leads to the formation of caramel fibers where tiny particles of sesame pulp accumulate. The manual process is imperative to giving our halva its fluffy, fibrous texture, which not only makes the product more consistent and prevents it from crumbling when cut, but also significantly influences the sensory experience of enjoying a piece. The art of hand-mixing halva has been honed by makers over years of practice and is so specialized that the halva made by two companies using identical ingredients and recipes may be totally different! At Unitop all of our halva proudly boasts the Ręcznie wyrabiana (Handmade), label on its packaging so customers know they’re getting the same, top-quality product, we have perfected over more than a half century of practice.
„The fact that halva needs to be kneaded manually is not due to lack of mechanisation. Mechanically kneaded halva is no longer halva. – mechanical kneading of dough cuts the fibres” [2].
Despite the passage of years, Unitop halva remains the same—fluffy and fibrous thanks to the manual kneading process, which also ensures the great taste and high quality our halva is known for. With a few contemporary changes like the addition of convenience sizes and the elimination of palm oil, our halva is poised to remain a sweet part of Polish tradition.
