Gift Guide 2019: Pretty Seedy

A friend from Georgia was recently in New York looking for a gift to take home to a transplanted northerner. "I want something I can't get down south," she said.

Without missing a beat I walked her over to Seed and Mill in the Chelsea Market. They have wonderful organic tahini, fantastic soft serve ice cream - and the best halva I've ever had.

The flavors of the Middle East are having their moment right now, and Israeli food is all the rage. Which means that halva, the strangely appealing candy made of sesame seeds is making a huge comeback. It is, I think, the texture that's most appealing; it starts out dry and then changes in your mouth in an almost magical way.

Seed and Mill makes halva in an entire range of flavors. They start with plain sesame and expand to pistachio, rose oil, white chocolate & raspberry, cardamom and sea salt dark chocolate. A sampler would make a very appealing present, but if you're looking for the wow factor, consider an entire cake. Weighing in at six and a half pounds, it makes quite an impression.