Falafel

Falafel (; , ) is a deep-fried ball or patty-shaped fritter of Egyptian origin that features in Middle Eastern cuisine, particularly Levantine cuisines. It is made from ground fava beans, chickpeas, or both, and mixed with herbs and spices before frying.

Falafel is often served in a flatbread such as pita, samoon, laffa, or taboon; “falafel” also frequently refers to a wrapped sandwich that is prepared in this way. The falafel balls may be topped with salads, pickled vegetables, and hot sauce, and drizzled with tahini-based sauces. Falafel balls may also be eaten alone as a snack or served as part of a meze tray.

Falafel is a popular street food eaten throughout the Middle East. In Egypt, it is most often made with fava beans, while in Israel, Palestine, Jordan, Lebanon, and Syria, it is typically made with chickpeas or sometimes a blend of both.

Etymology

The word () is Arabic and is the plural of ' () 'pepper', borrowed from Persian (), cognate with the Sanskrit word ' () 'long pepper'; or an earlier , from Aramaic 'small round thing, peppercorn', derived from ''palpēl'' 'to be round, roll'.

The name is used world-wide. In English (where it has been written ''falafel'', ''felafel'', ''filafel'' and ''filafil''), it is first attested in 1936.

Falafel is known as ( ', ) in Egypt and Sudan. The word is derived from a diminutive form of the Arabic word ' (, "food"); the particular form indicates "a unit" of the given root in this case ' (, having to do with taste and food), thus meaning "a little piece of food" or "small tasty thing".

The word ''falafel'' can refer to the fritters themselves or to sandwiches filled with them.

History and distribution

The origin of falafel is uncertain. The dish most likely originated in Egypt. It has been speculated that its history may go back to Pharaonic Egypt. However, the earliest written references to falafel from Egyptian sources date to the 19th century, and oil was probably too expensive to use for deep frying in ancient Egypt.

As Alexandria is a port city, it was possible to export the dish and its name to other areas in the Middle East. The dish later migrated northwards to the Levant, where chickpeas replaced the fava beans, and from there spread to other parts of the Middle East.

Middle East

Falafel is a common form of street food or fast food in Egypt, across the Levant, and in the wider Middle East. The croquettes are regularly eaten as part of meze. During Ramadan, falafel balls are sometimes eaten as part of the '' iftar'', the meal that breaks the daily fast after sunset. Falafel became so popular that McDonald's for a time served a "McFalafel" in its breakfast menu in Egypt.

Falafel is still popular in the Coptic diet, and as such large volumes are cooked during religious holidays. Falafel is consumed as part of the Lenten diet by Arab Christians.

Chickpea-based falafel, common in many Levantine cuisines including Israeli and Palestinian, has become widely recognized as a national dish in Israel, where it is a popular street food.

Europe

Waves of migration of Arabs and Turks took falafel through Europe to Germany in particular, where a large Turkish population had put down roots. At first it was a dish consumed principally by migrants. During the early 1970s, the appearance of Turkish food stalls and restaurants made falafel available to the Germans, resulting in a transformation of the recipe.

North America

In North America, prior to the 1970s, falafel was found only in Middle Eastern, Mediterranean and Jewish neighborhoods and restaurants. Today, the dish is a common and popular street food in many cities throughout North America.

Vegetarianism

Falafel is popular with vegetarians worldwide.

Falafel became popular among vegetarians and vegans as an alternative to meat-based street foods. While traditionally thought of as being used to make veggie burgers, its use has expanded as more have adopted it as a source of protein. Falafel is used as a meat substitute in some vegetarian recipes for meatloaf, sloppy joes and spaghetti and meatballs.

Preparation and variations

Falafel is made from fava beans, chickpeas, or a combination of both. In Egypt, it is typically prepared with fava beans. In Israeli and Palestinian cuisine, chickpeas are commonly used, while in Jordan, Lebanon, Syria, and the wider Middle East, either chickpeas or a mix of both are used. The chickpea-based version is the most popular in the West.

When chickpeas are used, they are not cooked prior to use (cooking the chickpeas will cause the falafel to fall apart, requiring adding some flour to use as a binder). Instead they are soaked (sometimes with baking soda) overnight, then ground together with various ingredients such as parsley, scallions, and garlic. Spices such as cumin and coriander are often added to the beans for added flavor. The dried fava beans are soaked in water and then stone ground with leek, parsley, green coriander, cumin and dry coriander. The mixture is shaped into balls or patties. This can be done by hand or with a tool called an ''aleb falafel'' (falafel mould). The mixture is usually deep-fried, or it can be oven-baked.

Falafel is typically ball-shaped, but is sometimes made in other shapes. The inside of falafel may be green (from green herbs such as parsley or green onion), or tan. Sometimes sesame seeds are added on top of the falafel before frying it.

The pita falafel sandwich was popularized after Israel's independence and in the 1950s by Jewish Yemeni immigrants. A 19 October 1939 '' The Palestine Post'' article is the first mention of the concept of falafels served in a pita bread as a street food. When served as a sandwich, falafel is often wrapped with flatbread or stuffed in a hollow pita bread, or it can be served with flat or unleavened bread. Tomatoes, lettuce, cucumbers, and other garnishes can be added.Claudia Roden, The Book of Jewish Food: An Odyssey from Samarkand to New York, New York, Knopf, 1997, 688 p. (), p. 273. Falafel is commonly accompanied by tahini sauce.

Nutrition

Homemade falafel is 35% water, 32% carbohydrates, 13% protein, and 18% fat (table). In a reference amount of , homemade falafel supplies 333 calories and is a rich source (20% or more of the Daily Value, DV) of folate (20% DV), several dietary minerals, and dietary fiber (table). Falafel can be baked to avoid the high fat content associated with frying in oil.

See also

* Operation Dugo

References

Citations

Sources

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External links

''Recipe of the Day'' for 12 February 2008
– ''The New York Times''

{{Street food

Chickpea dishes
Middle Eastern cuisine
Arab cuisine
Egyptian cuisine
Israeli cuisine
Palestinian cuisine
Lebanese cuisine
Syrian cuisine
Jordanian cuisine
Iraqi cuisine
Saudi Arabian cuisine
Bahraini cuisine
Sudanese cuisine
South Sudanese cuisine
National dishes
Vegan cuisine
Street food
Vegetarian sandwiches
Fritters
Lenten foods