Halvah.

We tried a Halvah bar we purchased from Canter's in the Fairfax district in downtown LA. It reminded me of a chinese confection. Grainy and sweet in the inside. It was tasty but one bar was equivalent to more than a meal in calories!

Halvah is a Turkish confection. It is one of the worlds oldest candies.The earliest references date as far back as the year 3000 B.C. The word halvah means literally 'sweetmeat'.

Ingredients include tahini and sugar. Tahini is created by grinding sesame seeds into a smooth creamy butter. Sesame seeds are rich in calcium, zinc, iron, phosphorous, protein, niacin and lecithin and many B complex vitamins.

Halvah contains three basic nutrients; protein and vegetable fat from tahini and carbohydrates from sugar. Halvah provides protein and calories, making it an excellent choice for the beginning of the day or for a backpacking energy source.