Crispy, delicious, an environmentally friendly and (somewhat) healthy alternative to meat: this is what you can expect from the little chickpea balls that can now be found in many German company canteens. Garnished with lettuce leaves, edamame beans or hummus. And because your stomach is already growling, but you also want to eat (somewhat) healthily and don’t want to take a digestive nap straight after your lunch break, the choice is yours: a falafel bowl, please!
This decision often ends in disappointment. In reality, the supposed culinary delight often turns out to be a bone-dry lump of chickpeas. There is an acute risk of choking when chewing, so the only option is to sprint to the drinks machine to somehow get the meal into your stomach. Of course, the salad doesn’t fill you up either. Many people are secretly annoyed (while still chewing) that they would have preferred to order the veggie bolo.
It is therefore somewhat surprising that falafel balls have now been named the “up-and-comer of the year” among canteen dishes. In a ranking of the most popular dishes in the workplace, they are ranked ninth. A perversion of taste, one might assume. Or perhaps some canteen operators actually manage to produce less dusty balls. In any case, the ranking was presented – no joke – by Apetito, a family business from North Rhine-Westphalia, which produces frozen meals. Nothing is known about how Apetito created the ranking, only that it is based on current sales figures.
According to the ranking, veggie dishes in particular are taking the top ten spots: half of the most popular dishes are vegetarian. The increasing popularity shows a “clear trend” towards a conscious diet, writes the comparison portal daily ticket . However, the top performers in the rankings don’t quite confirm this conclusion: Spaghetti Bolo in first place, Currywurst in third place. At least you can’t go wrong with them (keyword: bone dry). Well then, enjoy your meal.