Falafel

Falafel originated in Egypt and found its way as far as Morocco and Saudi Arabia and is popularly sold by street-food vendors in countries such as Egypt, Syria, Lebanon, Turkey and Israel. 

Falafels are deep-fried balls or patties that are made out of chickpeas or fava beans, sometimes both and are flavored with herbs such as parsley, cilantro and dill, and spices such as cumin, coriander and cayenne or crushed red pepper flakes. Onion, garlic and shallots are also used as aromatics during the preparation. The ingredients are well mixed together to form balls or patties that are often fried to obtain the crispy texture but they can be baked as well. The ideal texture of a well-done falafel is crispy on the outside and tender on the inside with an earthy and herbaceous flavor profile. The falafel balls/patties are then stuffed into a pita or wrapped laffa bread with hot sauce, tahini sauce and generally some salad with a combination of lettuce, cucumber, tomato, onion, parsley and yoghurt. Today the delicacy is served and enjoyed across many countries and regions and thus exist variations of the recipe. While in some regions the balls/patties are referred to as falafel, in other regions it refers to the wrap or the sandwich itself, but what remains common is the flavor-rich dish which is simple and appealing to our taste palette. 

Falafel is known to have certain health benefits because is it often rich in olive oil, vegetables, legumes, either beans or chickpeas or nuts and high fiber. The use of these ingredients helps in maintaining health and ideal weight, it also helps prevent obesity, diabetes and hypertension, thus reducing heart-related diseases. Therefore it is considered to be a better alternative to fast food such as hamburgers that are high in saturated fat. Falafel is also lighter than mainstream fast food hence is easy on the digestive system. According to the head of the Medical Centre in America, falafel is made out of natural materials and thus per 100g serving contains around 325 calories and is made out of 35% carbohydrates, 15% protein and some 20% includes fat, vitamins and minerals such as potassium, magnesium, vitamin-B, iron and zinc. Even when fried the falafel contains relatively little fat and when it is eaten with a salad it is not only satiating but also healthy.

Today falafel is commonly found and enjoyed across the globe and is served with varying combinations of flavours and forms.

If we have gotten your mouth watering talking about the aromatic and flavour-rich delicacy, we urge you to place an order with us and try out our products!