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

Back on the streets of Lakemba last week, Kheir was calmly coordinating the mass Iftar, liaising with caterers as they ran back and forth replenishing food such as falafel, fattoush, chicken and rice.

From BBC • Mar. 20, 2026

"You don't really need to speak Arabic or Syrian to know that this is the best falafel ever," he said, pointing to a row of colourful plates.

From Barron's • Mar. 2, 2026

Over a lunch of falafel and coffee at the Hammer, Shilling talked about growing up in L.A. and attending Fairfax High School.

From Los Angeles Times • Oct. 3, 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

Abu Musa slid her crispy planets of falafel into pockets of warm, fresh pita bread and Liyana bit down hard.

From "Habibi" by Naomi Shihab Nye