Falafel is the archetypically Middle Eastern dish. Made from ground fava (broad) beans, chickpeas or a mixture of the two, these deep-fried balls are a staple of Levantine cuisine. Whether eaten alone as a quick snack, or served in a pitta with salad and tahini-based sauces, they are a common sight at foodstalls and restaurants from Aden to Istanbul, and from Baghdad to Benghazi. But if you ask where falafel actually comes from, you'll never get the same answer twice.
Falafel is as contentious as the region itself. While the Israelis have fêted it as one of their national dishes, the Palestinians are resentful of what they perceive as the ‘theft' of a distinctly Arab speciality. Meanwhile, the Lebanese have tried to have it recognised as their own; even the Yemeni say it is they who invented it. This is not just a matter of culinary pride.
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