Falafel: What It Is and How It Should Taste
Falafel has travelled further than almost any other Mediterranean dish, and it has suffered for it. Plenty of people who say they do not like falafel have simply never had it fresh.
What is actually in it
Dried chickpeas, soaked overnight but never cooked, ground raw with onion, garlic, parsley, coriander and spices, then shaped and deep fried.
Break one open. The inside should be green from the herbs, not beige.
That word “raw” is the whole secret. Falafel made from cooked chickpeas or from tinned chickpeas turns dense and pasty. Made from soaked raw ones, the inside stays light and almost fluffy while the outside goes crisp.
Some regions use dried fava beans instead, or a mix of the two. In Egypt, where the dish likely originates, fava is traditional and the result is called ta’ameya.
How to tell if it is good
Break one open. The inside should be green from the herbs, not beige. It should be moist and crumbly rather than dense or dry. The shell should crack rather than bend.
It should also be hot. Falafel has a short window — perhaps fifteen minutes — before the crust softens and the whole thing turns heavy. Anywhere serving falafel that has been sitting is not treating it properly.
What to eat it with
Tahini sauce, always. The sesame paste thinned with lemon and water is the traditional partner and it is not optional as far as most of the region is concerned.
Beyond that: pickled vegetables for sharpness, fresh tomato and cucumber, and either bread or a plate of rice and salad. In a wrap it wants fattoush and hummus alongside it.
Why it matters nutritionally
Chickpeas bring protein and fibre, and the herbs are not a garnish — there is a genuine quantity of parsley and coriander in a proper mix. It is fried, so it is not a light food, but as a meat-free main it is far more substantial than most vegetarian options.
It is also, incidentally, one of the oldest fast foods on earth. People have been eating this on the street for centuries. There is a reason it stuck.
