Falafel
Encyclopedia
Falafel is a deep-fried
ball or patty made from ground chickpea
s and/or fava bean
s. Falafel is usually served in a pita
, which acts as a pocket, or wrapped in a flatbread
known as lafa
. The falafel balls are topped with salads, pickled vegetables
, 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
.
Generally accepted to have first been made in Egypt
, falafel has become a dish eaten throughout the Middle East. The Copt
s of Egypt claim to have first made the dish as a replacement for meat during Lent. The fritters are now found around the world as a replacement for meat and as a form of street food
.
word which means "long pepper". A Coptic
origin has recently been proposed from Pha La Phel "Φα Λα Φελ" 'of many beans'. The word has now spread to the rest of the world. In English, it is first attested in 1941.
Falafel is known as ta'amiya ( , tˤɑʕˈmejjɑ) in Egypt, with the exception of Alexandria, as well as in Sudan. The word is derived from a diminutive
form of the Arabic word ; the particular form indicates "a unit" of the given root in this case , thus meaning "a little piece of food" or "small tasty thing".
, possibly eaten by Copt
s as a replacement for meat during Lent
. As Alexandria
is a port city, it was possible to export the dish and name to other areas in the Middle East. The dish later migrated northwards to the Levant
, where chickpeas replaced the fava. It has also been theorized to a lesser extent that falafel originated during Egypt's Pharaonic Period or in the Indian subcontinent
. In modern times, falafel has been considered a national dish of Egypt and of Israel
.
or fast food
in the 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
now serves a "McFalafel" in some countries. It is still popular with the Copts, who cook large volumes during religious holidays.
Debates over the origin of falafel have sometimes devolved into political discussions about the relationship between Arabs and Israelis.
While falafel is not a specifically Jewish
dish, it was eaten by Mizrahi Jews
in their countries of origin. Later, it was adopted by early Jewish immigrants
to Palestine. Due to its being entirely plant based, it is considered parve
under Jewish dietary laws
and gained acceptance with Jews because it could be eaten with meat or dairy meals. Falafel is now an iconic part of Israeli cuisine and often referred to as a national dish. This has led to resentment by Palestinians and assertions of copyright infringement
by the Lebanese Industrialists' Association.
On May 9, 2010, in Beirut
, more than 300 Lebanese
chefs prepared 5173 kilograms (11,404.5 lb) of falafel mixture. A Guinness World Records
representative was present to record the feat. On May 21, 2010, an Israeli chef in New York set a world record for the largest falafel ball, weighing in at 10.9 kilograms (24 lb) and with a circumference of more than a meter (3.3 ft); it was reported the ball is expected to enter the Guinness Book of World Records. This record was broken by a 52.8 pound falafel made by chefs at the Santa Clarita Jewish Festival on May 15, 2011.
. However the dish has become a common street food in many cities throughout North America, and U.S. college students readily enjoy falafel wraps as they do other fast foods like pizza
.
s, its use has expanded as more and more people have adopted it as a source of protein. A versatile
ingredient, it has allowed for the reformulating of recipes for meat loaf
, sloppy joe
s and spaghetti and meatballs
into vegetarian dishes.
Today, falafel is eaten all over the world.
Falafel is made from fava beans
or chickpea
s, or a combination of the two. The use of chickpeas is predominant in most Middle Eastern countries. The dish is usually made with chickpeas in Jordan, Lebanon and Syria. Palestinians and Yemenite Jews
in Jerusalem have historically prepared falafel only from chickpeas. This version is the most popular in the West. The Egyptian variety uses fava beans.
The beans are not cooked prior to use. Instead they are soaked with baking soda
, then ground together with various ingredients such as parsley, scallion
s, and garlic. Spices such as cumin
and coriander
are often added to the beans for added flavor. The mixture is shaped into balls or patties. This can be done by hand or with a tool called an aleb falafel. The mixture is then deep fried
.
When not served alone, falafel is often served with unleavened bread
when it is wrapped within lafa or stuffed in a hollow pita
. Tomatoes, lettuce, cucumbers, and other garnishes can be added. Falafel is commonly accompanied by tahini
.
Falafel can be baked to reduce the high fat content associated with frying. Although baking alters the texture and flavor, it is often a recommended preparation technique for people suffering from health problems like diabetes.
Deep frying
Deep frying is a cooking method in which food is submerged in hot oil or fat. This is normally performed with a deep fryer or chip pan; industrially, a pressure fryer or vacuum fryer may be used....
ball or patty made from ground chickpea
Chickpea
The chickpea is a legume of the family Fabaceae, subfamily Faboideae...
s and/or fava bean
Vicia faba
This article refers to the Broad Bean plant. For Broadbean the company, see Broadbean, Inc.Vicia faba, the Broad Bean, Fava Bean, Field Bean, Bell Bean or Tic Bean, is a species of bean native to north Africa and southwest Asia, and extensively cultivated elsewhere. A variety is provisionally...
s. Falafel is usually served in a pita
Pita
Pita or pitta is a round pocket bread widely consumed in many Middle Eastern, Mediterranean, and Balkan cuisines. It is prevalent in Greece, the Balkans the Levant, the Arabian Peninsula and Turkey. The "pocket" in pita bread is created by steam, which puffs up the dough...
, which acts as a pocket, or wrapped in a flatbread
Flatbread
A flatbread is a simple bread made with flour, water, and salt and then thoroughly rolled into flattened dough. Many flatbreads are unleavened: made without yeast or sourdough culture: although some flatbread is made with yeast, such as pita bread....
known as lafa
Taboon bread
Taboon bread ) is a flatbread wrap used in many cuisines. It is traditionally baked in a taboon oven and eaten with different fillings.Taboon bread is sold as street food, stuffed with hummus, falafel or shaved meat...
. The falafel balls are topped with salads, pickled vegetables
Pickling
Pickling, also known as brining or corning is the process of preserving food by anaerobic fermentation in brine to produce lactic acid, or marinating and storing it in an acid solution, usually vinegar . The resulting food is called a pickle. This procedure gives the food a salty or sour taste...
, hot sauce
Hot sauce
Hot sauce, chili sauce or pepper sauce refers to any spicy sauce made from chili peppers and other ingredients.-Ingredients:There are many recipes for hot sauces - the common ingredient being any kind of peppers. A group of chemicals called capsaicinoids are responsible for the heat in chili peppers...
, and drizzled with tahini-based sauces
Tahini
Tahini or sesame paste , is a paste of ground sesame seeds used in cooking. North African, Greek and West Asian tahini is made of hulled, lightly roasted seeds. East Asian sesame paste is made of unhulled seeds. The Arabic word tahin simply means flour.Tahini is a major component of hummus and...
. Falafel balls may also be eaten alone as a snack or served as part of a meze
Meze
Meze or mezze is a selection of small dishes served in the Mediterranean and Middle East as dinner or lunch, with or without drinks. In Levantine cuisines and in the Caucasus region, meze is served at the beginning of all large-scale meals....
.
Generally accepted to have first been made in Egypt
Egypt
Egypt , officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, Arabic: , is a country mainly in North Africa, with the Sinai Peninsula forming a land bridge in Southwest Asia. Egypt is thus a transcontinental country, and a major power in Africa, the Mediterranean Basin, the Middle East and the Muslim world...
, falafel has become a dish eaten throughout the Middle East. The Copt
Copt
The Copts are the native Egyptian Christians , a major ethnoreligious group in Egypt....
s of Egypt claim to have first made the dish as a replacement for meat during Lent. The fritters are now found around the world as a replacement for meat and as a form of street food
Street food
Street food is ready-to-eat food or drink sold in a street or other public place, such as a market or fair, by a hawker or vendor, often from a portable stall. While some street foods are regional, many are not, having spread beyond their region of origin. Most street food are both finger and fast...
.
Etymology
The word falafel can refer to the fritters themselves or to sandwiches filled with them. Some sources trace the name to the Arabic word is the plural of which means "pepper"--probably from the SanskritSanskrit
Sanskrit , is a historical Indo-Aryan language and the primary liturgical language of Hinduism, Jainism and Buddhism.Buddhism: besides Pali, see Buddhist Hybrid Sanskrit Today, it is listed as one of the 22 scheduled languages of India and is an official language of the state of Uttarakhand...
word which means "long pepper". A Coptic
Coptic language
Coptic or Coptic Egyptian is the current stage of the Egyptian language, a northern Afro-Asiatic language spoken in Egypt until at least the 17th century. Egyptian began to be written using the Greek alphabet in the 1st century...
origin has recently been proposed from Pha La Phel "Φα Λα Φελ" 'of many beans'. The word has now spread to the rest of the world. In English, it is first attested in 1941.
Falafel is known as ta'amiya ( , tˤɑʕˈmejjɑ) in Egypt, with the exception of Alexandria, as well as in Sudan. The word is derived from a diminutive
Diminutive
In language structure, a diminutive, or diminutive form , is a formation of a word used to convey a slight degree of the root meaning, smallness of the object or quality named, encapsulation, intimacy, or endearment...
form of the Arabic word ; the particular form indicates "a unit" of the given root in this case , thus meaning "a little piece of food" or "small tasty thing".
History
The origin of falafel is unknown and controversial. A common theory is that the dish originated in EgyptEgypt
Egypt , officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, Arabic: , is a country mainly in North Africa, with the Sinai Peninsula forming a land bridge in Southwest Asia. Egypt is thus a transcontinental country, and a major power in Africa, the Mediterranean Basin, the Middle East and the Muslim world...
, possibly eaten by Copt
Copt
The Copts are the native Egyptian Christians , a major ethnoreligious group in Egypt....
s as a replacement for meat during Lent
Lent
In the Christian tradition, Lent is the period of the liturgical year from Ash Wednesday to Easter. The traditional purpose of Lent is the preparation of the believer – through prayer, repentance, almsgiving and self-denial – for the annual commemoration during Holy Week of the Death and...
. As Alexandria
Alexandria
Alexandria is the second-largest city of Egypt, with a population of 4.1 million, extending about along the coast of the Mediterranean Sea in the north central part of the country; it is also the largest city lying directly on the Mediterranean coast. It is Egypt's largest seaport, serving...
is a port city, it was possible to export the dish and name to other areas in the Middle East. The dish later migrated northwards to the Levant
Levant
The Levant or ) is the geographic region and culture zone of the "eastern Mediterranean littoral between Anatolia and Egypt" . The Levant includes most of modern Lebanon, Syria, Jordan, Israel, the Palestinian territories, and sometimes parts of Turkey and Iraq, and corresponds roughly to the...
, where chickpeas replaced the fava. It has also been theorized to a lesser extent that falafel originated during Egypt's Pharaonic Period or in the Indian subcontinent
Indian subcontinent
The Indian subcontinent, also Indian Subcontinent, Indo-Pak Subcontinent or South Asian Subcontinent is a region of the Asian continent on the Indian tectonic plate from the Hindu Kush or Hindu Koh, Himalayas and including the Kuen Lun and Karakoram ranges, forming a land mass which extends...
. In modern times, falafel has been considered a national dish of Egypt and of Israel
Israel
The State of Israel is a parliamentary republic located in the Middle East, along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea...
.
Middle East
Falafel grew to become a common form of street foodStreet food
Street food is ready-to-eat food or drink sold in a street or other public place, such as a market or fair, by a hawker or vendor, often from a portable stall. While some street foods are regional, many are not, having spread beyond their region of origin. Most street food are both finger and fast...
or fast food
Fast food
Fast food is the term given to food that can be prepared and served very quickly. While any meal with low preparation time can be considered to be fast food, typically the term refers to food sold in a restaurant or store with preheated or precooked ingredients, and served to the customer in a...
in the Middle East
Middle East
The Middle East is a region that encompasses Western Asia and Northern Africa. It is often used as a synonym for Near East, in opposition to Far East...
. The croquettes are regularly eaten as part of meze
Meze
Meze or mezze is a selection of small dishes served in the Mediterranean and Middle East as dinner or lunch, with or without drinks. In Levantine cuisines and in the Caucasus region, meze is served at the beginning of all large-scale meals....
. During Ramadan
Ramadan
Ramadan is the ninth month of the Islamic calendar, which lasts 29 or 30 days. It is the Islamic month of fasting, in which participating Muslims refrain from eating, drinking, smoking and sex during daylight hours and is intended to teach Muslims about patience, spirituality, humility and...
, falafel balls are sometimes eaten as part of the iftar
Iftar
Iftar , refers to the evening meal when Muslims break their fast during the Islamic month of Ramadan. Iftar is one of the religious observances of Ramadan and is often done as a community, with people gathering to break their fast together. Iftar is done right after Maghrib time...
, the meal that breaks the daily fast after sunset. Falafel became so popular that McDonald's
McDonald's
McDonald's Corporation is the world's largest chain of hamburger fast food restaurants, serving around 64 million customers daily in 119 countries. Headquartered in the United States, the company began in 1940 as a barbecue restaurant operated by the eponymous Richard and Maurice McDonald; in 1948...
now serves a "McFalafel" in some countries. It is still popular with the Copts, who cook large volumes during religious holidays.
Debates over the origin of falafel have sometimes devolved into political discussions about the relationship between Arabs and Israelis.
While falafel is not a specifically Jewish
Jews
The Jews , also known as the Jewish people, are a nation and ethnoreligious group originating in the Israelites or Hebrews of the Ancient Near East. The Jewish ethnicity, nationality, and religion are strongly interrelated, as Judaism is the traditional faith of the Jewish nation...
dish, it was eaten by Mizrahi Jews
Mizrahi Jews
Mizrahi Jews or Mizrahiyim, , also referred to as Adot HaMizrach are Jews descended from the Jewish communities of the Middle East, North Africa and the Caucasus...
in their countries of origin. Later, it was adopted by early Jewish immigrants
History of Zionism
Zionism as an organized movement is generally considered to have been fathered by Theodor Herzl in 1897; however the history of Zionism began earlier and related to Judaism and Jewish history...
to Palestine. Due to its being entirely plant based, it is considered parve
Milk and meat in Jewish law
Mixtures of milk and meat are prohibited according to Jewish law. This dietary law, basic to kashrut, is based on a verse in the Book of Exodus, which forbids "boiling a goat in its mother's milk"...
under Jewish dietary laws
Kashrut
Kashrut is the set of Jewish dietary laws. Food in accord with halakha is termed kosher in English, from the Ashkenazi pronunciation of the Hebrew term kashér , meaning "fit" Kashrut (also kashruth or kashrus) is the set of Jewish dietary laws. Food in accord with halakha (Jewish law) is termed...
and gained acceptance with Jews because it could be eaten with meat or dairy meals. Falafel is now an iconic part of Israeli cuisine and often referred to as a national dish. This has led to resentment by Palestinians and assertions of copyright infringement
Copyright infringement
Copyright infringement is the unauthorized or prohibited use of works under copyright, infringing the copyright holder's exclusive rights, such as the right to reproduce or perform the copyrighted work, or to make derivative works.- "Piracy" :...
by the Lebanese Industrialists' Association.
On May 9, 2010, in Beirut
Beirut
Beirut is the capital and largest city of Lebanon, with a population ranging from 1 million to more than 2 million . Located on a peninsula at the midpoint of Lebanon's Mediterranean coastline, it serves as the country's largest and main seaport, and also forms the Beirut Metropolitan...
, more than 300 Lebanese
Lebanon
Lebanon , officially the Republic of LebanonRepublic of Lebanon is the most common term used by Lebanese government agencies. The term Lebanese Republic, a literal translation of the official Arabic and French names that is not used in today's world. Arabic is the most common language spoken among...
chefs prepared 5173 kilograms (11,404.5 lb) of falafel mixture. A Guinness World Records
Guinness World Records
Guinness World Records, known until 2000 as The Guinness Book of Records , is a reference book published annually, containing a collection of world records, both human achievements and the extremes of the natural world...
representative was present to record the feat. On May 21, 2010, an Israeli chef in New York set a world record for the largest falafel ball, weighing in at 10.9 kilograms (24 lb) and with a circumference of more than a meter (3.3 ft); it was reported the ball is expected to enter the Guinness Book of World Records. This record was broken by a 52.8 pound falafel made by chefs at the Santa Clarita Jewish Festival on May 15, 2011.
North America
During the 20th century, falafel was generally known only by individuals who frequented restaurants in Middle Eastern and Jewish neighborhoods, and by vegans, who used it as a meat analogueMeat analogue
A meat analogue, also called a meat substitute, mock meat, faux meat, or imitation meat, approximates the aesthetic qualities and/or chemical characteristics of specific types of meat...
. However the dish has become a common street food in many cities throughout North America, and U.S. college students readily enjoy falafel wraps as they do other fast foods like pizza
Pizza
Pizza is an oven-baked, flat, disc-shaped bread typically topped with a tomato sauce, cheese and various toppings.Originating in Italy, from the Neapolitan cuisine, the dish has become popular in many parts of the world. An establishment that makes and sells pizzas is called a "pizzeria"...
.
Vegetarianism
Falafel has become popular among vegetarians and with those in the vegan movement, where it is celebrated as an alternative to meat-laden street foods, and is now sold in prepackaged mixes in health-food stores. While traditionally thought of as being used to make veggie burgerVeggie burger
A veggie burger is a hamburger-style patty that does not contain meat. The patty of a veggie burger may be made, for example, from vegetables, textured vegetable protein , legumes, nuts, dairy products, mushrooms, wheat, or eggs....
s, its use has expanded as more and more people have adopted it as a source of protein. A versatile
Versatile
Versatile is a Canadian brand of agricultural equipment that has produced augers, swathers and combine harvester.In the 1970s, it was an independent operation, founded by Peter Pakosh and Roy Robinson, that had 70% of the 4WD tractor market and then was later owned by Ford and Fiat's New Holland,...
ingredient, it has allowed for the reformulating of recipes for meat loaf
Meat Loaf
Michael Lee Aday , better known by his stage name, Meat Loaf, is an American hard rock musician and actor...
, sloppy joe
Sloppy joe
A sloppy joe is an American dish of ground beef, onions, sweetened tomato sauce or ketchup and other seasonings, served on a hamburger bun. Commercially made sauces are also available. Textured vegetable protein may be used as a vegetarian substitute for the meat...
s and spaghetti and meatballs
Spaghetti and meatballs
Spaghetti with meatballs is a dish that usually consists of spaghetti, tomato sauce and meatballs.According to Food Network host and correspondent Alton Brown, early 20th-century Italian immigrants in New York City were the first to make it and the National Pasta Association was the...
into vegetarian dishes.
Today, falafel is eaten all over the world.
Preparation and variations
Vicia faba
This article refers to the Broad Bean plant. For Broadbean the company, see Broadbean, Inc.Vicia faba, the Broad Bean, Fava Bean, Field Bean, Bell Bean or Tic Bean, is a species of bean native to north Africa and southwest Asia, and extensively cultivated elsewhere. A variety is provisionally...
or chickpea
Chickpea
The chickpea is a legume of the family Fabaceae, subfamily Faboideae...
s, or a combination of the two. The use of chickpeas is predominant in most Middle Eastern countries. The dish is usually made with chickpeas in Jordan, Lebanon and Syria. Palestinians and Yemenite Jews
Yemenite Jews
Yemenite Jews are those Jews who live, or whose recent ancestors lived, in Yemen . Between June 1949 and September 1950, the overwhelming majority of Yemen's Jewish population was transported to Israel in Operation Magic Carpet...
in Jerusalem have historically prepared falafel only from chickpeas. This version is the most popular in the West. The Egyptian variety uses fava beans.
The beans are not cooked prior to use. Instead they are soaked with baking soda
Sodium bicarbonate
Sodium bicarbonate or sodium hydrogen carbonate is the chemical compound with the formula Na HCO3. Sodium bicarbonate is a white solid that is crystalline but often appears as a fine powder. It has a slightly salty, alkaline taste resembling that of washing soda . The natural mineral form is...
, then ground together with various ingredients such as parsley, scallion
Scallion
Scallions , are the edible plants of various Allium species, all of which are "onion-like", having hollow green leaves and lacking a fully developed root bulb.-Etymology:The words...
s, and garlic. Spices such as cumin
Cumin
Cumin is a flowering plant in the family Apiaceae, native from the east Mediterranean to India. Its seeds are used in the cuisines of many different cultures, in both whole and ground form.-Etymology:...
and coriander
Coriander
Coriander is an annual herb in the family Apiaceae. Coriander is native to southern Europe and North Africa to southwestern Asia. It is a soft, hairless plant growing to tall. The leaves are variable in shape, broadly lobed at the base of the plant, and slender and feathery higher on the...
are often added to the beans for added flavor. The mixture is shaped into balls or patties. This can be done by hand or with a tool called an aleb falafel. The mixture is then deep fried
Deep frying
Deep frying is a cooking method in which food is submerged in hot oil or fat. This is normally performed with a deep fryer or chip pan; industrially, a pressure fryer or vacuum fryer may be used....
.
When not served alone, falafel is often served with unleavened bread
Unleavened Bread
Unleavened Bread is a 1900 novel by American writer Robert Grant....
when it is wrapped within lafa or stuffed in a hollow pita
Pita
Pita or pitta is a round pocket bread widely consumed in many Middle Eastern, Mediterranean, and Balkan cuisines. It is prevalent in Greece, the Balkans the Levant, the Arabian Peninsula and Turkey. The "pocket" in pita bread is created by steam, which puffs up the dough...
. Tomatoes, lettuce, cucumbers, and other garnishes can be added. Falafel is commonly accompanied by tahini
Tahini
Tahini or sesame paste , is a paste of ground sesame seeds used in cooking. North African, Greek and West Asian tahini is made of hulled, lightly roasted seeds. East Asian sesame paste is made of unhulled seeds. The Arabic word tahin simply means flour.Tahini is a major component of hummus and...
.
Nutrition
When made with chickpeas, falafel is high in protein, complex carbohydrates, and fiber. Chickpeas are also low in fat and salt and contain no cholesterol. Key nutrients are calcium, iron, magnesium, phosphorus, potassium, zinc, copper, manganese, Vitamin C, thiamine, pantothenic acid, Vitamin B, and folate. Phytochemicals include beta-carotene. Due to its nutrition profile, falafel is often recommended for use in weight control programs. It is also high in soluble fiber, which has been shown to be effective at lowering blood cholesterol.Falafel can be baked to reduce the high fat content associated with frying. Although baking alters the texture and flavor, it is often a recommended preparation technique for people suffering from health problems like diabetes.