In 2005 Wikipedia's first sentence called it “fried ball or patty of spiced chickpeas”. Today it says “deep-fried ball or patty-shaped fritter of egyptian origin that features in middle eastern cuisine”.
Measured, not asserted. Every count, date and revision on this page was taken from Wikipedia's own history and checked against the live article. The words quoted are theirs.
Machine-checked against the full current article on 2026-08-03.
We saved snapshots of this article over twenty years; you are reading the 2005 one. Red dashes: removed from Wikipedia since.Pale dots: rewritten; the numbered note shows what it says now.Red text: written in or rewritten since the previous snapshot.1 tap a number or a side note to jump between them
The opening as it read in 2005
Falafel ( Arabic : فلافل; Hebrew : פלאפל) is a fried ball or patty of spiced chickpeas , dating back to Biblical times and originating somewhere on the Indian subcontinent . Falafel is today eaten in India as well as in Pakistan and the Middle East . It is traditionally served with a yoghurt sauce, as a sandwich in pita bread, or as an appetizer. Though its origin is uncertain, it is believed that it originally came from India, where it was made with spiced soured bread. The word "falafel" comes from the Arabic word فلفل ( filfil ), meaning pepper, and probably ultimately from Sanskrit pippalī . Falafel (at least the Middle Eastern style) is made from field beans , chick peas or any combination of the two. The Egyptian variation exclusively uses fava beans , while other variations may exclusively use chick peas. What makes falafel different from many other bean patties is the beans are not cooked prior to use. Instead they are soaked, possibly skinned, then ground with other ingredients and deep fried. Recent culinary trends have seen the triumph of the chickpea falafel over the fava bean falafel. Chickpea falafels are served across the Middle East, and popularized by expatriates of those countries living abroad. Israeli expatriates have played a crucial role in the popularization of the chickpea falafel across the western world, especially in the New York City Metropolitan Area. In Israel, falafel is sometimes referred to as "Israel's National Snack" (though it does not actually have any origins in Israel). The Ashkenazic noodle farfel is a different thing.1
This is Wikipedia's own text, saved in our repository. Their copy of it is revision 16051224.
The opening as it stood in 2010 14 passages from the previous snapshot no longer appear
Falafel ( ; falāfil ; Egyptian and Sudanese Arabic : طعمية ta'miyya ) is a fried ball or patty made from ground chickpeas and/or fava beans .Falafel is usually served in a pita , which acts as a pocket, or wrapped in a flat bread known as lafa .The falafel balls are topped with salads, pickled vegetables and hot sauce , and drizzled with tahini-based sauces .Falafel balls may also be eaten alone as a snack or served as part of a mezze .
Red text was written in or rewritten since the previous snapshot. Their copy is revision 370482222.
The opening as it stood in 2015 1 passage from the previous snapshot no longer appear
Falafel ( / f ə ˈ l ɑː f əl / ; , ) is a deep-fried ball or patty made from ground chickpeas , fava beans , or both.Falafel is a traditional Middle Eastern food , commonly served in a pita , which acts as a pocket, or wrapped in a flatbread known as lafa ; "falafel" also frequently refers to a wrapped sandwich that is prepared in this way. The falafel balls are topped with salads, pickled vegetables , hot sauce , and drizzled with tahini-based sauces . Falafel balls may also be eaten alone as a snack or served as part of a meze (appetizers). Falafel is a common dish eaten throughout the Middle East.The fritters are now found around the world as a replacement for meat and as a form of street food .
Red text was written in or rewritten since the previous snapshot. Their copy is revision 667179348.
The opening as it stood in 2020
Traditional Egyptian food: deep-fried balls of ground chickpeas or fava beans. Falafel ( / f ə ˈ l ɑː f əl / ; , , dialectal : ) is a deep-fried ball or patty made from ground chickpeas , fava beans , or both. Falafel is a traditional Middle Eastern food , commonly served in a pita , which acts as a pocket, or wrapped in a flatbread known as taboon ; "falafel" also frequently refers to a wrapped sandwich that is prepared in this way. The falafel balls are topped with salads, pickled vegetables , hot sauce , and drizzled with tahini-based sauces . Falafel balls may also be eaten alone as a snack or served as part of a meze tray (assortment of appetizers). Falafel is a common dish eaten throughout the Middle East. The fritters are now found around the world as a replacement for meat and as a form of street food .
Red text was written in or rewritten since the previous snapshot. Their copy is revision 965217045.
The opening as it stood on October 6, 2023 4 passages from the previous snapshot no longer appear
Egyptian Middle Eastern fried bean dish This article is about the Middle Eastern food.Falafel ( / f ə ˈ l ɑː f əl / ; , ) is a deep-fried ball or patty-shaped fritter of Arab origin, featuring in Middle Eastern cuisine (especially in Egyptian and Levantine cuisines) made from broad beans , ground chickpeas , or both.Falafel is often served in a pita , samoon , or wrapped in a flatbread known as taboon ; "falafel" also frequently refers to a wrapped sandwich that is prepared in this way.The falafel balls may be topped with salads, pickled vegetables , and hot sauce , and drizzled with tahini-based sauces . Falafel balls may also be eaten alone as a snack or served as part of a meze tray (assortment of appetizers). Falafel is eaten throughout the Middle East, and is a common street food .Falafel is usually made with fava beans in Egyptian cuisine , where it most likely originated, with chickpeas in Palestinian cuisine , or either just chickpeas or a combination of both in Jordan , Lebanon and Syria and the wider Middle East.It is popular with vegetarians worldwide.The Palestinian chickpea-only version of the falafel has also been adopted into Israeli cuisine , where it now features prominently and is proclaimed as the country's national dish .
Red text was written in or rewritten since the previous snapshot. Their copy is revision 1178890239.
The opening as it stood in 2025 4 passages from the previous snapshot no longer appear
Middle Eastern fried bean dish This article is about the Middle Eastern food. Falafel ( / f ə ˈ l ɑː f əl / ; Arabic : فلافل , [fæˈlæːfɪl] ) is a deep-fried ball or patty-shaped fritter of Egyptian origin that features in Middle Eastern cuisine , particularly Levantine cuisines .It is made from ground fava beans , chickpeas , or both, and mixed with herbs and spices before frying.Falafel is often served in a flatbread such as pita , samoon , laffa , or taboon ; “falafel” also frequently refers to a wrapped sandwich that is prepared in this way. The falafel balls may be topped with salads , pickled vegetables, and hot sauce , and drizzled with tahini -based sauces. Falafel balls may also be eaten alone as a snack or served as part of a meze tray. Falafel is a popular street food eaten throughout the Middle East.In Egypt, it is most often made with fava beans, while in Israel , Palestine , Jordan , Lebanon , and Syria , it is typically made with chickpeas or sometimes a blend of both.
Red text was written in or rewritten since the previous snapshot. Their copy is revision 1297741981. This is our newest snapshot; the live article may have moved again since.
Today
In 2005 Wikipedia's first sentence called it “fried ball or patty of spiced chickpeas”. Today it says “deep-fried ball or patty-shaped fritter of egyptian origin that features in middle eastern cuisine”. Read the current article and compare.
2005
2010
2015
2020
Oct '23
2025
Counts in the opening at each snapshot. Green: the word gained ground. Red: it was cut. Grey: no change.
What Wikipedia says this is
Every article opens by defining its subject. This one was redefined since 2005, and today's defining sentence is their current revision.
Then
fried ball or patty of spiced chickpeas
Now
deep-fried ball or patty-shaped fritter of egyptian origin that features in middle eastern cuisine
Struck red text is no longer in the article; dotted amber text was rewritten. Every revision id links to Wikipedia's copy; the text shown is our own saved copy. Data: /data. Wikipedia text is CC BY-SA; quoted for the record; not affiliated with Wikipedia.
