If you are not familiar with it, Falafel is a national dish in Israel. However, it has become so popular that it is now one of the go-to dishes when people go to different restaurants in different parts of the world. I kid you not; some of the falafel near me are cooked by the most visited restaurants in this region. And that is why I am sharing this dish with you.
But before you embark on its savory taste, it is also interesting to know some facts about falafels. And this is I am here! I will share with you some information that will surely make you want to taste these falafels as soon as possible.
The Origin of Falafel
There are many accounts of where this delicious food comes from. Some experts said that it comes from ancient Egypt because they found that the earlier Egyptians have cave drawings that resemble that of the falafel. Other food historians, however, think that this food comes from India where chickpeas and other fried foods are prominent. They also said that Arab and Turkish traders in the past were the ones who brought this food into the Middle East, and there, they started having this dish on their plates. This, later on, spread to the different parts of the world.
In the late 1950s, 50,000 Yemenite Jews were transported to Israel. Yemenites fried balls using chickpeas that look like felafel. This is where felafels were known to the world.
Felafel as a Healthy Food
Fried foods are never recommended especially when you are trying a healthy life. However, oil aside, three falafel balls can provide more than a quarter of the recommended fiber intake. This is because chickpeas are proven to reduce the risks of heart disease. They are even a good substitute for meat since the Middle Eastern use this food to substitute meatballs in their spaghetti.
A felafel with normal ingredients has just about 350 calories, which is enough to provide you with the energy you need for hours. This dish is commonly combined with pita and salad.
The Food Index
The Majalla Arabic magazine invented an index that measures how much this food typically costs in the local places and it was found that in Israel, the costs of felafel are more expensive than the felafels in other places.
Felafel in Israel
Israel has a lot of dishes to offer to us and this does not exclude the felafel. Moreover, Israel is known to have a cuisine that is rich in flavor and cooking strategies.
The Largest Felafel Before 2019
In 2010, the Lebanese and Israeli chefs combined their skills to make the world’s largest falafel ball before 2019. They used thousands of chickpeas and about 40 liters of oil. They made a very large felafel that weighed 11 kilograms with a circumference of more than a meter.
Conclusion
There are still many things that can be known and explored about the felafels. But one thing remains for sure, this dish will always be one of the favorites of many.
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