falafel

American  

[fuh-lah-fuhl] / fəˈlɑ fəl /

Sometimes falafil or felafel

noun

Middle Eastern Cooking.

1. a small croquette made with ground chickpeas or fava beans and spices, often served with salad and tahini in pita bread.

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falafel British  

/ fəlˈɑːfəl /

noun

1. a ball or cake of ground spiced chickpeas, deep-fried and often served with pitta bread

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Etymology

Origin of falafel

First recorded in 1950–55; from Levantine Arabic falāfil, plural of filfil “pepper”; possibly from Persian pilpil, from Sanskrit pippalī “long pepper,” or from Aramaic pilpāl “small round object, peppercorn”; cf. pepper ( def. )

Explanation

Falafel is a Middle Eastern food that's made from ground fava beans or chickpeas. Fried balls of falafel are usually served inside a pita or other flatbread. Yum! Good falafel is crispy on the outside, soft and savory inside, and served like a sandwich with toppings including tahini sauce, hummus, chopped cucumber, and tomato. The exact origins of this delicious food is uncertain, but there is an active controversy around who can claim falafel as their own—Israelis, Lebanese, and Egyptians (and others) all say that falafel comes from their country. In Arabic, falafil means "crunchy."

Example Sentences

He says that recently many families could not even afford falafel – a cheap, traditional snack.

From BBC • Dec. 6, 2025

The Palestinian, French and Israeli flags fly from the ceiling of "Sababa, the Taste of Peace", where the first customers packed in to eat hummus, falafel or Gazan salad.

From Barron's • Oct. 11, 2025

We feasted on hearty bowls of soup, silky hummus topped with falafel, a shawarma wrap and a medley of delicious olives.

From Salon • Mar. 30, 2025

“Many were not here in 2015. You have falafel, shawarma - many shops for Syrian food. It was a comfortable, safe place for Syrians…” But now the mood is darkening.

From BBC • Nov. 20, 2024

“Well, I’m Hindu, and you’re Muslim; obviously we’re star-crossed. I’ll pick you up at your dorm tonight, say seven? We can grab falafel at Mamoun’s first.”

From "Love, Hate & Other Filters" by Samira Ahmed