Felafel (الفلافل) is a traditional dish or even snack in Egypt and other parts of the Middle East. It has been largely internationalized in the last few decades. The traditional Egyptian felafel is made up of soaked broad (fava) beans mixed with various spices, onion, and garlic, in addition to parsley or coriander. It is then deep fried in very hot oil as balls.

Felafel is usually bought cooked and ready to eat. It takes a very long time to prepare and it is consumed mainly in breakfast; therefore, it is not always practical to cook it at home. It is a cheap dish consumed mainly in breakfast alongside other foods like salad, cheese, etc. It is also sold in sandwiches with various salads like green salad, tahina salad, or pickles.

Felafel is a very old dish in Egypt, and it is not certain when it started. Yet, there is no doubt about its popularity. It spread from Egypt to the rest of the Middle East, and different peoples changed its ingredients slightly; for instance in the Levant beans as the main ingredient of Felafel has been replaced by chick peas. Felafel has spread to many parts of the world as well. In the UK, a felafel sandwich is sold for 4 British pounds; this is more than 20 times the price of the same sandwich in the Middle East!

It is very interesting to note that MacDonald’s in Egypt offers a ‘McFelafel’ sandwich! I wonder whether MacDonald’s offers ‘McFelafel’ anywhere else in the world. I think that it may become more popular and successful outside Egypt than inside due to lack of competition.