Sesame Tahini Halva

I was fascinated by how popular sesame products are throughout Iran, but I shouldn't have been surprised because I knew that sesame had been cultivated in Iran for several thousand years. In southern Iran, the sesame halva/halvardeh or pashmak-e ardeh versions are the most popular. I visited workshops in Shiraz, Evaz and Lar, where they still make it in the artisanal manner, often adding egg white and soapwort (Saponaria officinalis or chubak in Persian), made fr