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By Daily Mail Reporter Last updated at 9:59 AM on 31st August 2009
Falafels are threatening to take over from curries as the nation's favourite post-pub meal.
Middle Eastern restaurants serving the dish of fried balls of spiced chickpeas are increasingly popular, according to researchers.
They said that the number in Manchester's Rusholme - traditionally a curry district - has soared from seven to 20 since 2002.
Professor David McEvoy, who has been tracking Manchester's immigrant population since the 1960s, said: 'The number of Middle Eastern restaurants is catching up with the number of Indian restaurants.
'At this rate, some time in the next 20 years, we might see a majority of Middle Eastern restaurants on Curry Mile.'
London's first falafel restaurant opened recently on Brick Lane - another favoured curry spot. Prof McEvoy, who teaches urban geography at Liverpool John Moores University, said migrants from Lebanon and Egypt opened restaurants because they wanted to work for themselves.
'They might not have British qualifications and their English might not be perfect, so they set up in self-employment in the hope that will give them a better life than low-paid jobs in the mainstream economy,' he said.
Nana Bejitashvili, of Lebanese restaurant Ranoush Juice in Kensington, central London, said: 'Falafel is really popular and one of the most successful things we sell.
'We have lots of Indian customers as well as British and Middle Eastern.
'Middle Eastern food has definitely risen in popularity. Falafel can definitely take on curry and beat it - plus it is healthier.'
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I am hard pushed to decide, I love both Indian and Lebenese!! I eat Lebenese more as it is more suitable as a snack. Lebenese food is way better that Egyptian - sorry Peeps Posts: 102 | From: Somewhere only we know... | Registered: Dec 2006
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