True! It's popular in the middle east in general, and I'm sure it made it over with immigrants somehow, but up until a few years ago I only saw tahini and halva in the "ethnic" foods aisle, until tahini became a popular health food / salad thing and now you see it in restaurants, and now I'm seeing more and more cafes and bakeries with halva cookies, halva lattes, etc etc - that's all I mean.

Also you might also like tahin pekmez - which I haven't seen around at all yet: 3/4 tahini and 1/4 molasses mixed together for a spread - on toasted bread. Best warming winter / snowy weather comfort food ever! :-)