MyTastr

Best halva, according to chefs

Two picks, each tied to a named taster and a public source — from Ruth Reichl and Roxana Juliapat. Recommendations come from townandcountrymag.com and pastryartsmag.com.

International Pantry · The ranking

  1. 1
    Top pick

    Seed + Mill Halva

    Chosen by
    Reichl, who knew only “the gritty commercial kind, which was like eating sweet sand,” wrote in Town & Country (2020) that she had “become addicted to Seed + Mill halva.” It is mixed by hand in small batches from Ethiopian sesame. Her favorite flavor is pistachio. Made in New York, with a shop in Chelsea Market.
    Where to buy · seedandmill.com ↗Instacart ↗Source: townandcountrymag.com ↗
  2. 2

    Hebel & Co Halva

    Chosen by
    Juliapat is “a big fan of Hebel’s” and grates its vanilla halva into the cream for her halva croissant (Pastry Arts Magazine, 2020). A husband-and-wife Los Angeles maker whose handmade halva is “nutty, flaky, creamy, cottony, crispy,” made with Soom tahini.
    Where to buy · hebelco.com ↗Instacart ↗Source: pastryartsmag.com ↗

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Questions, answered

What is the best halva, according to chefs?
MyTastr’s top pick is Seed + Mill Halva, chosen by Ruth Reichl (critic, former Gourmet editor). Reichl, who knew only “the gritty commercial kind, which was like eating sweet sand,” wrote in Town & Country (2020) that she had “become addicted to Seed + Mill halva.” It is mixed by hand in small batches from Ethiopian sesame. Her favorite flavor is pistachio. Made in New York, with a shop in Chelsea Market. Source: townandcountrymag.com ↗
What are the other top picks for halva?
No. 2 is Hebel & Co Halva, chosen by Roxana Juliapat (baker, Friends & Family · Los Angeles). Only two picks cleared the bar so far. Each card above links to the original source.
How does MyTastr choose these picks?
Every pick is tied to a named chef, cookbook author or food expert and links to the public interview, panel or article it came from. We survey dozens, often hundreds, of top chefs, food writers and critics, and order reflects how often and how strongly a brand is recommended. Only organic recommendations count — paid endorsements don’t — and brands can’t buy a spot. Read how we pick.

The tasters behind this ranking

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