Product knowledge
What tahini percentage signals quality halva?
There's no single legal threshold, but trade guidance treats halva with roughly half its weight or more in tahini as the quality benchmark — pastry and bakery trade press has flagged tahini content above 50% as a marker worth checking for. Below that, a block is carrying more sugar syrup and filler relative to sesame, which shows up as a sweeter, less sesame-forward, sometimes gummier bite.
Percentage isn't printed on every halva label, so buyers usually have to read texture and flavour as proxies: a higher-tahini block flakes cleanly, tastes distinctly of sesame before sugar, and has a slightly drier, denser crumb than a syrup-heavy one.
Why tahini share is the real quality lever
Halva has only three real components — tahini, sugar syrup, and a small amount of a natural whipping agent — so tahini share is effectively the one variable that separates a sesame-forward block from a candy-forward one. Trade coverage of the recent halva 'renaissance' in pastry circles has specifically called out tahini content above roughly half the recipe as the marker chefs and buyers look for when comparing suppliers (Pastry Arts Magazine).
More tahini also means more of the sesame seed's own quality carries through — origin, roast level, hull removal — which is why the two questions, how much tahini and how good is that tahini, tend to travel together.
How to check it without a spec sheet
Where a percentage isn't disclosed, taste and look for: a distinct sesame flavour that arrives before the sweetness does; a dry, flaky, almost fibrous crumb that shears cleanly rather than smearing; and a colour closer to warm tan than pale white, since very pale, very smooth blocks often lean more syrup-heavy.
- Flakes cleanly, doesn't smear — usually a higher-tahini block.
- Sesame flavour up front, sweetness after — a good sign.
- Very smooth, uniform, candy-pale — often more sugar-forward.
- Ask the supplier directly — a house that knows its own recipe will tell you.
Where sesame origin fits in
Because tahini is graded by the sesame that goes into it, origin matters alongside percentage. Ethiopia's Humera white sesame is widely regarded in the trade as a premium tahini seed, prized for a cleaner, less bitter flavour, with Sudan as another major source (Saveur). A high-tahini halva made with lower-grade seed can still taste flat; a well-sourced tahini at a slightly lower percentage can outperform it.
Srour Halawa with Pistachio, the halva in our catalogue, follows Ibrahim Srour Est.'s Damascus-tradition recipe out of Jordan — for exact tahini percentage or sesame sourcing detail beyond what's on the product page, that's a fair question to put directly in your inquiry.
What else to check on a halva ingredient list
Beyond tahini share, the ingredient list itself is worth a quick read. Ingredients are listed by weight, so seeing sesame or tahini named first, or very near first, is a good independent signal even without an exact percentage stated. The whipping agent is usually named plainly, soapwort extract, Gypsophila extract, or simply 'natural extract', and its presence in small quantity is normal and expected, not a red flag; it's a traditional, functional ingredient rather than a filler.
Watch instead for a long list of stabilizers, artificial flavourings or a sugar source appearing before sesame — those are the signals of a lower-tahini, more processed block, regardless of what a front-of-pack claim says.
Related questions
Is a higher tahini percentage always better?
Not automatically — sesame quality matters as much as quantity. A high-tahini block made with poorly roasted or bitter sesame can taste worse than a well-balanced block made with clean, well-sourced tahini.
Does the label always state tahini percentage?
No. Many retail halva blocks list an ingredient order but not an exact percentage, which is why texture and taste checks — does it flake, is sesame the first flavour — remain the practical buyer's test.
Why do pistachio or chocolate halva blocks taste less sesame-forward?
Add-ins like pistachio, chocolate or fruit paste sit on the same tahini-and-sugar base but dilute the total sesame share of each bite, so a flavoured block can taste less intensely sesame even at the same underlying tahini percentage as a plain one.
Is the whipping agent in halva a red flag?
No — a small amount of a natural saponin-based extract, often soapwort or Gypsophila, is a traditional and functional part of halva-making, not a filler or artificial additive. It's what allows the tahini-and-sugar mixture to be whipped into halva's flaky texture.