How is it possible that I have been
living in this country for 2 years and not yet paid homage to a food that has
become an Israeli icon? Felafel is trans-seasonal, trans-meal (you will easily
find people consuming falafel on the street at 9:00am), gluten free, vegetarian
friendly and economically viable. It is so popular that a few weeks ago, Israel
celebrated “Falafel day” – which essentially encouraged people to buy a
falafel.
For those of you unfamiliar with the
food - it is a deep fried patty made up of ground chickpeas or fava beans (or
both). Other ingredients include cumin, coriander, parsley, fresh garlic and onion and it is usually served inside a pita or laffa (flat bread) with a plethora of salads and
pickled vegetables. Falafel balls may also be eaten on their own as a snack
(you can ask any vendor to buy a few falafel balls on their own without all the
extras). Kind of like Middle Eastern sushi.
A little bit of history…
I would be lying if I said falafel originated in Israel. It
actually has a controversial history. Some say it first cropped up in Egypt –
apparently the Copts (the native Christians of Egypt) used the dish as a
replacement for meat during Lent. In Egypt, McDonald’s offers their version of
a sandwich called a “McFalafel”. There are some sources that trace the word “falafel”
to the Arabic word ‘falafil’, which means peppers or pha la phel –
many beans. In Egypt, falafel is known as ta’amiya which means ‘little
piece of food’. How very descriptive. The meal quickly became a popular street
food throughout the Middle East. Unfortunately it has also become a point of
conflict between Israelis and Arabs – where they have debated about the origin
of the food. Many Palestinians believe that Israel stole the dish from them and
turned into a national food icon. So much so, that the Lebanese Industrialists'
Association has raised assertions of copyright infringement against Israel concerning falafel.
Who would have thought that a humble chickpea (or fava bean)
could cause this much contention?
While the dish isn't specifically “Jewish” – it is still
consumed by Jews all over the world.
A Spot of Nutrition...
Falafel has great potential to be a really healthy,
nutritious meal. The chickpeas and beans, along with fresh garlic, parsley,
onions and spices are full of fibre, good quality protein, iron, calcium, folate,
low in salt and low in fat. When served with salads and techina or chummus you
have the bonus of vitamins from the vegetables and healthy oils from the
techina. As mentioned previously, it is a great alternative for vegetarians
looking to increase their protein intake and assuming there is no added flour –
it works well for the gluten intolerant. The problem lies in the deep frying of
the falafel and the pita or laffa it is served in, as well as the huge doses of
tahini or chummus drizzled on top.
If you want to make it at home – try baking
the falafel, or lightly frying it in a small amount of oil, it works just as
well. Use wholemeal pita or wholegrain bread, or serve it on top of an Israeli
salad without the bread for an alternative. Unfortunately, most falafel shops
do not offer the option of baked falafel, or wholemeal pita.
What to do in this situation?
....
Just don’t add hot chips.
