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 and the Arabian Peninsula, it is most often made with fava beans, while in the Levant, it is typically made with chickpeas or sometimes a blend of both.
The adoption of the Palestinian chickpea version of falafel into Israeli cuisine and its identification as Israeli is contentious, and has led to accusations of cultural appropriation and gastronationalism.
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, 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 ; the particular form indicates a "unit" of the given root in this case , 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.
According to historian Gil Marks, 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.
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. Some falafel include a filling inside the falafel dough; Palestinians make a variation of falafel stuffed with sumac and onions.When chickpeas are used, they are not cooked prior to use. Instead they are soaked 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. 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, or tan. Sometimes sesame seeds are added on top of the falafel before frying it.
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. Falafel is commonly accompanied by tahini sauce.