Name | Falafel |
---|---|
Caption | Falafel balls |
Region | Believed to have originated in Egypt before spreading north to the Levant |
Course | Street food |
Served | Hot |
Main ingredient | Fava beans or chickpeas |
Variations | Served alone or as a sandwich |
Falafel (; , ) is a deep fried ball or patty made from ground chickpeas and/or fava beans. 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. Falafel is also often considered a national dish of Israel. The Copts of Egypt claim to have first made the dish as a replacement for meat during Lent. The hearty fritters are now found around the world as a replacement for meat and as a form of street food.
Falafel is known as ta'amiya ( ) in Egypt, with the exception of Alexandria, as well as in Sudan. The word is derived from a diminutive form of the Arabic word ṭaʻām, "food"; the particular form indicates "a unit" of the given root (in this case , having to do with taste and food), thus meaning "a little piece of food" or "small tasty thing".
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. The custom of eating falafel in a pita stuffed with salads began in Israel. 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. Israeli entrepreneurs brought falafel to Europe and the United States sometime in the 1970s.
On May 9, 2010, in Beirut, more than 300 Lebanese chefs prepared 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 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. It was certified on site at 5pm for submission to the Guinness Book of World Records.
Today, falafel is eaten all over the world.
The beans are not cooked prior to use. Instead they are soaked with baking soda, 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 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 (known generally as khubz throughout the Arab world) 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 Nutrition Facts |
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.
Category:Articles with inconsistent citation formats Category:Arabic loanwords Category:Legume dishes Category:Middle Eastern cuisine Category:National dishes Category:Vegan cuisine Category:Street food Category:Deep fried foods
ar:فلافل bs:Falafel br:Falafel ca:Falàfel ceb:Palapel cs:Falafel da:Falafel de:Falafel es:Faláfel eo:Kikerbulo fa:فلافل fr:Falafel hr:Falafel id:Falafel it:Falafel he:פלאפל jv:Falafèl la:Falafel hu:Falafel mr:फलाफल arz:طعميه nl:Falafel ja:ファラフェル no:Falafel pl:Falafel pt:Falafel ru:Фалафель simple:Falafel sr:Фалафел fi:Falafel sv:Falafel uk:Фалафель yi:פאלאפעל zh:炸豆丸子This text is licensed under the Creative Commons CC-BY-SA License. This text was originally published on Wikipedia and was developed by the Wikipedia community.
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