Falafel is often served in aflatbread such aspita,samoon,laffa, ortaboon;falafel also frequently refers to a wrapped sandwich that is prepared in this way. The falafel balls may be topped withsalads,pickled vegetables, andhot sauce, and drizzled withtahini-based sauces. Falafel balls may also be eaten alone as a snack or served as part of ameze tray.
Falafel is a popularstreet food eaten throughout the Middle East. In Egypt and theArabian Peninsula, it is most often made with fava beans, while in theLevant, it is typically made with chickpeas or sometimes a blend of both.
The wordfalāfil (Arabic:فلافل) is Arabic and is the plural offilfil (فلفل) 'pepper',[2] borrowed fromPersianfelfel (فلفل),[3] cognate with theSanskrit wordpippalī (पिप्पली) 'long pepper'; or an earlier*filfal, from Aramaicpilpāl 'small round thing, peppercorn', derived frompalpēl 'to be round, roll'.[4]
The namefalāfil is used world-wide. In English (where it has been writtenfalafel,felafel,filafel andfilafil), it is first attested in 1936.[5]
Falafel is known asṭaʿmiyya (Arabic:طعمية,IPA:[tˤɑʕˈmejjɑ]) in Egypt and Sudan. The word is derived from adiminutive form of the Arabic wordṭaʿām (طعام, 'food'); the particular form indicates a "unit" of the givenroot in this caseṬ-ʕ-M (ط ع م, having to do with taste and food), thus meaning 'a little piece of food' or 'small tasty thing'.[6][7][8]
The wordfalafel can refer to the fritters themselves or to sandwiches filled with them.
History and distribution
Falafel sandwich inpitaDespite the frying process, the inside of a falafel remains soft.Egyptian falafel patties frying in oilFalafel being fried inRamallah, Palestine
The origin of falafel is uncertain.[9] The dish most likely originated inEgypt.[10][11][12][13][14] It has been speculated that its history may go back toPharaonic Egypt.[15] However, the earliest written references to falafel from Egyptian sources date to the 19th century,[16][17][18] and oil was probably too expensive to use for deep frying in ancient Egypt.[18][19]
AsAlexandria is a port city, it was possible to export the dish and its name to other areas in the Middle East.[20] The dish later migrated northwards to theLevant, where chickpeas replaced the fava beans, and from there spread to other parts of the Middle East.[21][22][23]
Falafel is a common form ofstreet food orfast food in Egypt, across theLevant, and in the widerMiddle East.[25][26] The croquettes are regularly eaten as part ofmeze. DuringRamadan, falafel balls are sometimes eaten as part of theiftar, the meal that breaks the daily fast after sunset.[7] Falafel became so popular thatMcDonald's for a time served a "McFalafel" in its breakfast menu in Egypt.[27]
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.[21][31]
Europe
Waves of migration of Arabs and Turks took falafel through Europe toGermany 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.[12]
North America
In North America, prior to the 1970s, falafel was found only in Middle Eastern, Mediterranean and Jewish neighborhoods and restaurants.[32][33][34][35] Today, the dish is a common and popular street food in many cities throughout North America.[36][37][38]
Vegetarianism
Falafel is popular with vegetarians worldwide.[32]
Falafel is made fromfava beans,chickpeas, or a combination of both.[21] In Egypt, it is typically prepared with fava beans. In Israeli and Palestinian cuisine, chickpeas are commonly used,[21] while in Jordan, Lebanon, Syria, and the wider Middle East, either chickpeas or a mix of both are used.[25][21][30][44] The chickpea-based version is the most popular in the West.[25]
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 withbaking soda) overnight, then ground together with various ingredients such as parsley,scallions, and garlic.[25] Spices such ascumin andcoriander are often added to the beans for added flavor.[45] The dried fava beans are soaked in water and then stone ground with leek, parsley, green coriander, cumin and dry coriander.[46][47] The mixture is shaped into balls or patties. This can be done by hand or with a tool called analeb falafel (falafel mould).[6] The mixture is usuallydeep-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.
When served as a sandwich, falafel is often wrapped withflatbread or stuffed in a hollowpita bread,[50] or it can be served with flat orunleavened bread.[51] Tomatoes, lettuce, cucumbers, and other garnishes can be added.[52][53] Falafel is commonly accompanied bytahini sauce.[25]
Nutrition
Homemade falafel is typically around 35% water, 32%carbohydrates, 13%protein, and 18%fat (table). In a reference amount of 100 grams (3.5 oz), homemade falafel supplies 333calories and is a rich source (20% or more of theDaily Value, DV) offolate (20% DV), severaldietary minerals, anddietary fiber (table). Falafel can be baked to avoid the high fat content associated with frying in oil.[32][52]
Arguments over the relative importance of the dish in various cuisines is an example ofgastronationalism.[1] In particular, discussion centers around the adoption of the dish into Israeli cuisine as an example ofcultural appropriation.[1] The chickpea version of the falafel has been adopted intoIsraeli cuisine, where it now features prominently and has been called anational dish of Israel – an attribution that Palestinians and other Arabs have criticized.[21][31]
^Helman, Anat (2015).Jews and Their Foodways. Oxford University Press.ISBN978-0-19-049359-2.Archived from the original on 8 December 2022. Retrieved19 March 2023.The claim that Indian cooking may have influenced the invention of falafel is reasonable. There are many fried foods in India that predate falafel and that are similar in shape and consistency. British soldiers familiar withvada,ambode,dal ke pakode and other fried foods might easily have experimented and encouraged resourceful Egyptian chefs to come up with a local equivalent.
^Galili, Shooky (4 July 2007)."Falafel fact sheet". Ynet News.Archived from the original on 28 June 2011. Retrieved6 February 2011.
^M. Conroy, Thomas (2014).Food and Everyday Life. Lexington Books. p. 73.ISBN9780739173114.
^Davidson, Alan (2014).The Oxford Companion to Food. Oxford University Press. p. 295.ISBN9780191040726.Falafel are made for religious festivals, especially among Christian communities during Lent when meat is forbidden.
^Perry, Charles (May 2007). "Middle Eastern Influences on American Food". In Smith, Andrew F. (ed.).The Oxford Companion to American Food and Drink. Oxford University Press, USA. p. 384.ISBN978-0-19-530796-2.
