Falafel

Falafel (Template:IPAc-en; Template:Langx, Template:IPA) 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 Template:Transliteration (Template:Langx) is Arabic and is the plural of Template:Transliteration (Template:Lang) 'pepper',<ref>Template:Cite encyclopedia</ref> borrowed from Persian Template:Transliteration (Template:Lang),<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> cognate with the Sanskrit word Template:Transliteration (Template:Lang) 'long pepper'; or an earlier Template:Transliteration, from Aramaic Template:Transliteration 'small round thing, peppercorn', derived from palpēl 'to be round, roll'.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

The name Template:Transliteration is used world-wide. In English (where it has been written falafel, felafel, filafel and filafil), it is first attested in 1936.<ref>The Oxford English Dictionary (3rd ed., March 2022) has a 1936 citation.</ref>

Falafel is known as Template:Transliteration (Template:Langx Template:Transliteration, Template:IPA) in Egypt and Sudan. The word is derived from a diminutive form of the Arabic word Template:Transliteration (Template:Lang, "food"); the particular form indicates "a unit" of the given root in this case Template:Transliteration (Template:Lang, having to do with taste and food), thus meaning "a little piece of food" or "small tasty thing".<ref name="Oxford Press">Template:Cite book</ref><ref name="Vegetarian Journal 2001-04-01" /><ref>Template:Cite book</ref>

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

History and distribution

A pita filled with vegetables and fritters on a plate

Falafel sandwich in pita

File:Falafel balls.jpg

Despite the frying process, the inside of a falafel remains soft.

File:Falafels frying in egypt.jpg

Egyptian falafel patties frying in oil

A man in a restaurant kitchen making fritters

Falafel being fried in Ramallah

The origin of falafel is uncertain.<ref name="Slow food">Template:Cite book</ref> The dish most likely originated in Egypt.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref><ref name=ynet>Template:Cite news</ref><ref name="Lee 2019">Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> It has been speculated that its history may go back to Pharaonic Egypt.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref> However, the earliest written references to falafel from Egyptian sources date to the 19th century,Template:Sfn<ref>Template:Cite book</ref><ref name="solomonov">Template:Cite book</ref> and oil was probably too expensive to use for deep frying in ancient Egypt.<ref name=solomonov/><ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

As Alexandria is a port city, it was possible to export the dish and its name to other areas in the Middle East.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref> 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.Template:Sfn<ref name="Kantor">Template:Cite web</ref><ref name="MacLeod">Template:Cite news</ref>

Middle East

Falafel is a common form of street food or fast food in Egypt, across the Levant, and in the wider Middle East.Template:Sfn<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> 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.<ref name="Vegetarian Journal 2001-04-01">Template:Cite web</ref> Falafel became so popular that McDonald's for a time served a "McFalafel" in its breakfast menu in Egypt.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

Falafel is still popular in the Coptic diet, and as such large volumes are cooked during religious holidays.Template:Sfn Falafel is consumed as part of the Lenten diet by Arab Christians.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref><ref>Template:Cite book</ref>Template:SfnTemplate:SfnTemplate:Sfn

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.Template:SfnTemplate:Sfn

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.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

North America

In North America, prior to the 1970s, falafel was found only in Middle Eastern, Mediterranean and Jewish neighborhoods and restaurants.<ref name=vegtimes1/><ref name=mouth>Template:Cite book</ref><ref name="ocafd">Template:Cite book</ref><ref name=encmah>Template:Cite book</ref> Today, the dish is a common and popular street food in many cities throughout North America.<ref name=atlanta>Template:Cite journal</ref><ref name=religion>Template:Cite book</ref><ref name=goodhousekeeping>Template:Cite book</ref>

Vegetarianism

Falafel is popular with vegetarians worldwide.<ref name="vegtimes1" />

Falafel became popular among vegetarians and vegans as an alternative to meat-based street foods.<ref name="vegtimes1">Template:Cite web</ref><ref name="Wolfe 2007">Template:Cite book</ref> While traditionally thought of as being used to make veggie burgers,<ref name="falafel burgers">Template:Cite book</ref> its use has expanded as more have adopted it as a source of protein.<ref name="veganvolume">Template:Cite book</ref> Falafel is used as a meat substitute in some vegetarian recipes for meatloaf, sloppy joes and spaghetti and meatballs.<ref name="vegtimes2">Template:Cite web</ref><ref name="vegtimes3">Template:Cite web</ref>

Preparation and variations

Falafel is made from fava beans, chickpeas, or a combination of both.Template:Sfn In Egypt, it is typically prepared with fava beans. In Israeli and Palestinian cuisine, chickpeas are commonly used,Template:Sfn while in Jordan, Lebanon, Syria, and the wider Middle East, either chickpeas or a mix of both are used.Template:SfnTemplate:SfnTemplate:Sfn<ref name="Aytop106">Template:Cite book</ref> The chickpea-based version is the most popular in the West.Template:Sfn

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.Template:Sfn Spices such as cumin and coriander are often added to the beans for added flavor.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> The dried fava beans are soaked in water and then stone ground with leek, parsley, green coriander, cumin and dry coriander.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> The mixture is shaped into balls or patties. This can be done by hand or with a tool called an aleb falafel (falafel mould).<ref name="Oxford Press" /> 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.<ref>Encyclopedia of Jewish Food, Gil Marks, HMH, 2010</ref> When served as a sandwich, falafel is often wrapped with flatbread or stuffed in a hollow pita bread,<ref name="fluffy">Template:Cite book</ref> or it can be served with flat or unleavened bread.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref> Tomatoes, lettuce, cucumbers, and other garnishes can be added.Template:Sfn<ref>Claudia Roden, The Book of Jewish Food: An Odyssey from Samarkand to New York, New York, Knopf, 1997, 688 p. (Template:ISBN), p. 273.</ref> Falafel is commonly accompanied by tahini sauce.Template:Sfn

Nutrition

Template:Nutritional valueHomemade falafel is 35% water, 32% carbohydrates, 13% protein, and 18% fat (table). In a reference amount of Template:Convert, 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.<ref name=vegtimes1/>Template:Sfn

See also

• Operation Dugo

References

Sources

• Template:Cite book
• Template:Cite book
• Template:Cite journal
• Template:Cite book
• Template:Cite book

External links

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