Introduction:

Falafel (/fəˈlɑːfəl/; Arabic: فلافل‎, [fæˈlæːfɪl] (listen); is a deep-fried ball or patty-shaped fritter made from ground chickpeas, broad beans, or both. Falafel is a traditional Middle Eastern food, commonly served in a pita, which acts as a pocket, or wrapped in a flatbread known as taboon; "falafel" also frequently refers to a wrapped sandwich that is prepared in this way. 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 tray (assortment of appetizers).Falafel is eaten throughout the Middle East and is a common street food. Falafel is usually made with fava beans in Egypt, and called Ta'amiya, and with chickpeas in the Levant. It is popular with vegetarians worldwide.

Etymology:

The word falāfil (Arabic: فلافل‎) is of Arabic origin and is the plural of filfil (فلفل) 'pepper', borrowed from Persian pilpil (فلفل), from the Sanskrit word pippalī (पिप्पली) 'long pepper'; or an earlier *filfal, from Aramaic pilpāl 'small round thing, peppercorn', derived from palpēl 'to be round, roll'. Also, the word falāfil is also originated in the Egyptian Coptic ‘pha la phel’ (Φα Λα Φελ), meaning ‘of many beans’. The name falāfil is used worldwide. In English, it is first attested in 1941. Falafel is known as taʿmiya (Egyptian Arabic: طعمية‎ ṭaʿmiyya, IPA: [tˤɑʕˈmejjɑ]) in most of Egypt and in Sudan. The word is derived from a diminutive singulative form of the Arabic word ṭaʿām (طعام, "food"); the particular form indicates "a unit" of the given root in this case Ṭ-ʕ-M (ط ع م, 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:

The origin of falafel is controversial. The dish most likely originated in Egypt, possibly influenced by similar Indian dishes. There is a legend that a fava bean version was eaten by Copts as early as the 4th century during Lent, but there is no documentary evidence for this. 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 name to other areas in the Middle East. The dish later migrated northwards to the Levant, where chickpeas replaced the fava beans.

Middle East:

Falafel is a common form of street food or fast food in Egypt as well as the Levant. 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 all over Egypt. Falafel is still popular with the Copts, who cook large volumes during religious holidays.Debates over the history of falafel have sometimes devolved into political discussions about the relationship between Arabs and Israelis. In modern times, falafel has been considered a national dish of Egypt, Palestine, and Israel. Many Palestinians resent what they see as the appropriation of their dish by Israelis. Additionally, the Lebanese Industrialists' Association has raised assertions of copyright infringement against Israel concerning falafel.

Preparation and variation:

Falafel is made from fava beans or chickpeas, or a combination. Chickpeas are common in most Middle Eastern countries. The dish is usually made with chickpeas in Syria, Lebanon, Jordan, Israel and Palestine. This version is the most popular in the West. The Egyptian variety uses only fava beans. 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.