Al Arz is a small, family-owned and -operated food manufacturing company based in Nazareth, Israel, that makes sesame tahini and halva, a popular sesame confection.
Tahini is a traditional Middle Eastern spread made of finely-ground sesame seeds. Its consistency and color is similar to hummus and may be served with it as a dip. Al Arz’s Tahini is made with sesame seeds from the mountainous area of Himora, Ethiopia. These fatty seeds are sorted, rinsed in whirlpool baths, peeled, oven roasted, and then strained and finely ground into a paste that becomes raw tahini. There’s nothing else added to the sesame seeds – no preservatives, no flavorings, no artificial coloring, or other ingredients. Al Arz Tahini is kosher and comes in organic and non-organic varieties.
The tahini paste is packed into plastic jars and, to use, customers simply add an equal amount of water, some lemon juice, salt, and, if desired, garlic and chopped parsley.
Al Arz raw tahini paste makes it easy to whip up tahini any time.
We made up some Al Arz Tahini and found it to be thick with a rich, earthy grainy flavor (the tahini can be made thicker or thinner depending on the amount of water used). The flavor has a deep sesame nuttiness that’s quite satisfying.
One of the things we appreciate about Al Arz Tahini is how easy it is to use. The ground sesame seed paste makes it quick to make tahini and, even after opening, it doesn’t need refrigeration. Just put it in your pantry for the next time you need tahini.
Sweet Halva
Halva (spelled “halvah” in English) is a confection that’s popular in many places in the world such as Africa, Asia, the Middle East, Eastern Europe, and Israel. While it may be made with nuts and other ingredients, in Israel, it’s made with sesame paste and sugar syrup.
Al Arz halva comes in vanilla, with pistachio, and, our favorite, with cocoa beans.
We sampled three flavors of Al Arz Halva: Vanilla Halva, Halva with Cocoa Beans, and Halva with Pistachio. When it comes to quality halva, it’s all about texture and Al Arz Halva has the perfect texture – a bit crumbly with slightly crunchy crystals all in a silky base. The flavors are distinct and delicious. The Vanilla Halva has a pronounced vanilla flavor. The Cocoa Bean, our editors’ favorite, has a mild chocolatey flavor with a nice crunch from the beans. The Pistachio, which is studded with pieces of green nuts, has a distinctive nuttiness that sings “pistachio.”
Al Arz Halva isn’t overly sweet and our editors found it to be addictive. We returned again and again for “just a taste” of this sweet treat. One of our reviewers has extensively traveled the world enjoying halva and he pronounced it “some of the best halva I’ve ever eaten.”
Al Arz halvah is parve, meaing it does not contain meat or dairy, so that it can be eaten with/after either milk or meat dishes according to religious laws. This halva is made in the traditional Israeli style, without semolina or wheat flour. It does contain sesame tahini, glucose syrup, sugar, and saponaria root extract (soapwart), a whipping agent.
We have one caveat about Al Arz Halva. While the doesn’t contain any preservatives, it is made with partially hydrogenated palm oil, a fact our editors found troubling. Hydrogenation is a chemical process that turns liquid vegetable oil into solid fat. It also creates trans fats, which are thought to raise levels of bad cholesterol and lower levels of good cholesterol and are believed to be more harmful than saturated fats. While we love the flavor and texture of Al Arz Halva, we’d love it even more if the company found an alternative to using partially-hydrogenated oil, which would make this sweet treat more healthful.
Hungry for more? Make this Middle Eastern dish, Mujadarra and finish up the meal with Al Arz Halva.
Keep this article handy on your Pinterest boards so you can remember to shop for Al Arz Tahini and Halva.
Al Arz tahini seems to finally be available in the US on Amazon.
Cool, Dan. Thanks for letting us know. This is one of our favorite tahinis. Cheers! — Bobbie, RFT Editor
You can buy this thina from GIT USA 856-795-1519 NJ http://www.gitfood.com
Thanks for the information, Zipora. — Bobbie, RFT Editor
Hello all
we are selling Al Arz tahini paste on our web site: http://www.gitfood.com
Excellent, Robby. Thanks for letting our readers know. Al Arz Tahini paste is lovely. — Bobbie, RFT Editor
Hello to everyone!
First of all a happy new year 2014.
We also are selling Al Arz Tahini paste on our website http://www.favorshop.nl
This website is located in the Netherlands.
Regards,
Anyone know if Al Arz Tanini paste is available in Australia?
thanks
Hi Claire,
I don’t know if Al Arz ships its products to Australia. However, their website has a comments/contact us section. http://english.alarz.co.il/ContactUs.aspx
I suggest you contact them and ask if they’ll ship you some or if there are any retailers in your area who sell their product. It’s delicious! Let us know if you get some. Cheers! Bobbie, RFT Editor
Did anyone find this in Australia?
thanks
anna
Hi Anna,
The Al Arz website lists Europlus P/ L Capella Cres Moorabbin VIC 3189 Australia as the the Al Arz distributor in Australia. Phone 03 9553 1133. If you contact the company, they can likely tell you where they sell Al Arz products.
There was also a listing for a Europlus
Health Food Store
Address: 21/23 Capella Cres, Moorabbin VIC 3189, Australia
Phone:+61 3 9553 1133 You might try them too.
You might also be able to order Al Arz Tahini on the internet from Amazon. http://www.amazon.com/Tehina-Al-Erez-Traditional-Sesame/dp/B00G0PB1FW
Park East Kosher sells Al Arz Halva with cocoa beans online https://www.parkeastkosher.com/kosher.cfm/Grocery-Candy,-Chocolate–Snacks-Al-Arz-Halva-with-Cocoa-Beans_152-10293
Please let us know if you’re successful. They’re lovely products. Good luck. — Bobbie, RFT Editor
does someone know where to find al arz tahini in paris?
Hey Nik,
I don’t know about Paris, but I suspect any gourmet food market might carry it or can order it for you. Al Arz Tahini is also readily available online with a number of online retailers, including Amazon. http://www.amazon.com/Al-Arz-Tahini/dp/B00EDS8FZM
Good luck. —
Bobbie, RFT Editor
Is this ARZ tahini the same as the ARZ tahina made in Ontario Canada?
Unsure about this one. I’d check with ARZ’s website. The ARZ Tahini we’ve been dealing with doesn’t come from Canada, but it’s likely they have a Canadian outlet. Sorry we can’t be more definitive on this answer. Do let us know if you find out more. Thanks. — Bobbie, RFT Editor