Ta'ameya

Ta'ameya is an Egyptian patty made from ground fava beans, herbs and spices, deep-fried until the outside is crisp. It is the fava-bean relative of falafel, which is usually made from chickpeas, and it is sold as street food and eaten at cafés and at home. The Arabic name, written طعمية, is the one Egyptians use, so it is worth printing beside the English name on the menu.

What it really is

Dried fava beans are soaked, skinned and ground rather than cooked, then mixed with onion, garlic, fresh coriander, cumin and sesame seeds. The mixture is shaped into small flat patties and deep-fried in hot oil until golden brown. Because the base is fava rather than chickpea, the texture is softer and earthier, and the herbs usually show as green flecks through the crumb.

Ta'ameya is not chickpea falafel. The two share a method and a rough shape, but they use different beans and different recipes, and the Egyptian patty is built around fava.

How it's served

• Hot from the fryer, often tucked into a split loaf of Egyptian bread with salad.
• Sold as a sandwich, with tahini spooned over the filling or served on the side.
• Eaten by hand as a snack or light meal, often straight from a street stall.

How to write it on the menu

• Name the main ingredient, fava beans, and add "fava falafel" in brackets so guests know it is not chickpea.
• Flag sesame, which is in the patty, and again for the tahini if it is served. Flag wheat in the bread.
• Say that the patty is deep-fried in oil, and state whether that oil is shared with meat or fish.
• Describe the standard build: patty, bread, salad, tahini. List any extra sauce or cheese as a separate item.