Halva (halawa, alva, haleweh, halava, helava, helva, halwa, halua, aluva, chalva) refers to many types of dense, sweet confections, served across the Middle East, South Asia, Central Asia, West Asia, North Africa, the Horn of Africa, the Balkans, Central Europe, Eastern Europe, Malta and the Jewish world.The term halva (Arabic: حلاوة‎ ḥalāwah / حلوى ḥalwá Urdu: حلوہ ‎), meaning "desserts" or "sweet", is used to describe two types of desserts:Halva may also be based on numerous other ingredients, including sunflower seeds, various nuts, beans, lentils, and vegetables such as carrots, pumpkins, yams and squashes.Halva can be kept at room temperature with little risk of spoilage. However, during hot summer months, it is better kept refrigerated, as it can turn runny after several days.