Halas (Arabic: حلص|Ḥlṣ) is a Yemeni food that is made of halaṣ leaf. The food is eaten during drought periods in Yemen.[1]
The halaṣ leaves have a very bitter taste but they are boiled in water until the taste is gone. It is then added to traditional buttermilk known as ḥaqin.[1]
Ḥalaṣ is often confused with halqa or ghulaf (Cyphostemma digitatum (Forssk.)), which, according to Lisan al-Arab, is a plant that grows in Yemen whose leaves are similar in shape to vine leaves. It is roasted and dried, then used over meat.[1] [2] Halqa is used in traditional Yemeni ethnomedicine.[3]
The name of Ḥalaṣ is mentioned in Yemeni poems and proverbs. Proverbs such as
According to Mutahar al-Iryani, a Yemen historian and poet, the term Ḥalaṣ came from the word Ḥalaḏ̣ (ḥlẓ) that is mentioned in ancient Yemeni inscriptions and it means to suffer from starvation, sickness or pain.[1]
The Yemeni people of Tihamah have been eating halaṣ due to the famine in that area.[4]