Halwa refers to many types of dense, sweet confections, served across South Asia, Central Asia, West Asia, North Africa, the Horn of Africa, the Balkans, Central Europe, Eastern Europe, Malta and the Jewish world. In India, halwa is prepared in different forms. The recipes use flour, melted butler or ghee and sugar. It comes in various colors like orange, brown, green and cream with a translucent appearance studded with raisins, cashew nuts, pistachios, almonds, etc. Technically the term halwa is used in native recipes throughout India, and though semolina halwa is considered lo be essentially a "Northern" confection, it is also quite popular in South India. A prominent South Indian version of halwa (or alvaa in Tamil) is from Tirunelveli, a city in the state of Tamil Nadu. Another semolina preparation widely enjoyed throughout South India called kesari or kesari-bath originates from the slate of Karnataka.