Omani Halwa, for the 'real' taste of Oman

I still remember the first time I tasted the famous Omani Halwa. As part of shooting an advertising film for a local cooking oil, some of us from my agency had gone to a local Omani gentleman's home and the shoot lasted for the better part of the day. It was a very interesting assignment for me in more ways than one, for not only did we get to use his home, which in turn created a fabulous ambience for the film, but I also learnt a great deal about Omani culture, food and traditions from his wonderful wife and elder daughter. The fact of the matter is that a trip to Oman is incomplete without trying some of its delicious local delicacy, the famous Omani 'Halwa' .This halwa is considered as the ultimate symbol of Omani hospitality and is traditionally served with Omani Kahwa (coffee), at homes as well as all kinds of restaurants.Its popularity spikes up exponentially on special occasions such as weddings, birthday celebrations, Ramadan and Eid. The recipe is usually a closely guarded family secret and comes in different flavours and colours..In fact, each local resident here seems to have their own personal favourite, and the different tastes and flavours can prove to be a most interesting topic of conversation , particularly if accompanied by numerous cups of Kahwa.

The yellow coloured halwa is made of saffron and different kinds of dry fruits whereas the black coloured Halwa is made of Omani dates.Broadly speaking, the ingredients used to make Halwa are eggs, red and white sugar, corn flour and fat. These items are combined to produce a gelatinous sweet, which is then flavored with spices such as cardamom and saffron. Fresh rosewater, usually from the Jebel Akdhar region is used to give the sweet a light rosewater fragrance.

Watching him measure out a portion for a customer

Spoilt for choice Twenty plus years later, I'm still hooked on the delicious Omani Halwa..