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

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

Drawing on his hustling skills, he’s now selling falafel tacos from a cart in Mexico City.

From Los Angeles Times • Jan. 30, 2025

In the last five years, the nonprofit found, California school districts have added 41 new vegan dishes to their menus, including chana masala bowls, vegan tamales, and falafel wraps.

From Salon • Oct. 16, 2024

The exception was the falafel balls and sesame bread, which were served for breakfast once a week and tasted like treats compared with anything else we were given.

From "Tasting the Sky" by Ibtisam Barakat