Curious to learn more? Hopefully wecan answer your question below, but in case you do have an additional question, pleaseemail us directly at info@afiafoods.com, or complete the form on the Contact Us page at the bottom of this site page.
General Questions
We say "Ah Fee Ah!" Afia is also sometimes spelled Afiya in English, which may help with pronunciation.
Popular question! The answer is that there's at least a couple ways to pronounce Kibbeh. In our native Arabic, we pronounce it as "KIBB-ay" but it can also be pronounced "KIBB-uh."
Yes,the Kibbeh is ready made. After removing the Kibbeh from the freezer,heat the pieces in the oven at 425 degrees for 10-12 minutes, with an option to broil for them 3-5 minutes for an extra crunch.
Yes, the Falafel is readymade.After removing the Falafel from the freezer, heat it in the oven on 425 for 10-12 minutes, with an option to broil for 3-5 minutes for an extra crunch.
The standard9 ounce package contains an average of 8 Kibbehs, but it does vary slightly because of weight.
The standard 9 ounce bag of Falafel contains 15 pieces of Falafel.
We flash fry our falafel in Non-GMO high oleic sunflower oil to help them keep their shape before they are frozen and packed.
This is a healthier option than deep frying since flash frying prevents the entire Falafel from being saturated. Fortunately, with our current flash frying technique, each serving (3 Falafel) is still only about 8% of the recommended daily value of total fat.
Because we do not use preservatives in the Falafel, we recommend keeping the product frozen until it is ready to be heated and eaten.
The Falafel can stay in the refrigerator for up to 10 days after it has been taken out of the freezer, but it is not safe to keep the food in the pantry.
Currently our Kibbeh can only be found regionally in Texas, at H-E-B and select independent retailers.
But letting us know where you'd like to see our kibbeh helps us plan for the future! Please fill out this anonymous survey.
Our falafel can be found in more than 2700+ stores nationwide including: Bristol Farms, Harmons, Harris Teeter, H-E-B,HuckleBerry's, Gelsons, Good Earth(Natural Foods), Giant Foods, Jimbo's, Lunardis, Natural Grocers, Nugget Markets, Metropolitan Market, Mother's Market & Kitchen, Publix, Rainbow Grocery, Raley's, Safeway(North Cal), Sprouts Farmers Market, Wegman's, Whole Foods Market and many others throughout the U.S.
We're expanding all the time, so check our Where to Buy page for more info!
Help us tell them! If there's a flavor you'd like to see stocked at your local store, the best thing you can do is tell your store manager, and also click on this survey to tell US so we can tell them, too!
Yes! Find more information on our food service sales page
Reach out to us via our contact form! You can also learn more on our manufacturing partnerships page
Ingredients and Allergens
Yes, the beef protein used in our products is strictly Halal.
Our falafel is not Kosher certified.
Every flavor of our falafel is completely vegan and gluten-free, with no binders or preservatives, no soy and no nuts.
Yes, all of the Falafel flavors are vegan, with the exception of the Three Cheese Falafel which contains dairy.
Yes, all of our new line of Mediterranean Falafel Bowls are completely vegan, with 12 grams of plant-based protein per container.
Yes, all flavors of the Falafel are gluten free.
Yes, all flavors of our Mediterranean Falafel Bowls are gluten free.
All Afia falafel and Mediterranean Falafel Bowls are free from top 8 allergens (milk, eggs, fish, Crustacean shellfish, tree nuts, peanuts, wheat, and soybeans).
Our Za'atar Falafel does contain sesame seeds, as does our new Roasted Peppers and Tomatoes Mediterranean Falafel Bowl.
Our Kibbeh contains wheat, but is free of other top 8 allergens.
We're proud to source all of our ingredients in the U.S. Our spices are all regionally sourced from Texas.
This helps us ensure quality and that when we say we know what is in our food, we mean it.
You can read all of the ingredients of our products at their product pages:
All Afia falafel and our Mediterranean Falafel Bowls are certified non-GMO.
Our Turmeric falafel gets a kick of heat from cayenne spice, but if you're a longtime Afia fan, you may notice that we've dialed it back since the early days.
Cooking and Prep
Heating up the Falafel and Kibbeh in the air fryer, oven, toaster oven are all great options and recommended, it gives the products that delicious crunch!
No! If you're following the directions on the bag, you can put the falafel in the oven or air fryer directly from the bag without thawing.
You can microwave our products but we don't recommend it as you lose the crunch.
If you choose to, we recommend placing 3 falafel on a plate and microwaving on high for 90 seconds. Add 30 seconds for every additional falafel.
Our falafel is optimized for reheating in an oven or air fryer. If you choose to pan fry, heat all falafel to an internal temperature of 165 degrees.
We recommend thawing the falafel in the fridge before pan frying or deep frying, to ensure even cooking.
Our Mediterranean Falafel Bowls heat easily in a standard microwave for 3.5-4.5 minutes.
After heating, we recommend crumbling up your falafel to ensure delicious texture in every bite.
If you want your falafel extra crispy, you can remove them from the container before heating your meal in the microwave and bake or air fry the falafel separately.
Yes! If you don't have a microwave, we recommend reheating your bowl on the stovetop.
Simply remove the contents of our Mediterranean Falafel Bowls to a skillet or saute pan. Break up rice and vegetables and cook over medium heat for 5 minutes. Cook falafel for another 3 minutes until heated through.
Sustainability
The sleeves and containers of our Mediterranean Falafel Bowls are 100% recyclable (discard the plastic safety seal separately). In fact, we designed our containers with reusability in mind, and hope you'll use them as we do to brighten your home as a bird feeder, plant starter, or catch-all! Tag us on @afiafoods if you do!
Our freezer bags for our falafel and kibbeh are 99% recyclable. Check with your local recycling authority to find your options for recycling lined pouches suitable for freezers.
You've Changed, Man
We loved our Three Cheese falafel, but needed to make room for other more popular flavors.
We also made a deliberate choice to remove it to keep all our products dairy free for now.
Wow, you've been with us a long time! Our Spicy Kibbeh was DIVINE, and always sold out at the farmer's market when people had a chance to try it.
Maybe we can bring it back some day!
The short answer is, it's really hard to ship frozen food, especially if you want to do it sustainably!
Since our most popular products are now widely available in stores across the U.S., we've paused sales through our website while we try to figure out how to do it in the best, safest, and most sustainable way for us, our customers, and the environment.
