Afia Foods Announces Launch of Mediterranean Falafel Bowls

Afia, a Mediterranean food company driven by a mission to make food powerful, announces its new product line, Mediterranean Falafel Bowls, available in select retailers this Fall. The new line expands on Afia’s popular frozen falafel pouches, available nationally, by offering grain bowls inspired by traditional Middle Eastern recipes that feature 3 of the same great tasting Traditional Falafel in each single-serving microwavable meal.

Afia’s Mediterranean Falafel Bowls come in 4 varieties of 10-ounce bowls with a suggested retail price of $6.49-$6.99, packaged in a purely beautiful container designed with reusability and recyclability at the core. Each flavor is based on a favorite family recipe of Afia Founder Farrah Moussallati Sibai, drawing inspiration from across the Eastern Mediterranean, from Syria and Lebanon to Northern Africa. The R&D team spent months working to evoke beloved flavors of heritage dishes, modernized for the frozen aisle and American consumers. Each meal is certified Non-GMO, vegan, gluten-free, soy-free, nut-free, preservative free, and ready in about 4 minutes.

“Each meal is based on recipes from my mother-in-law’s generation old black recipe book, but we know there are infinite variations on these classic dishes across countries and even within families,” said Moussallati Sibai. “Our meals pay homage to that variety, while staying true to the ingredients and flavors that remind us of home.”

Roasted Peppers & Tomato, the top rated flavor in market research, features pearl onions, roasted peppers and zucchini as well as 3 Afia falafel over rice infused with a rich za’atar tomato sauce, and is inspired by Burghul bi Banadoura, a classic dish that has both Lebanese and Turkish roots.

The new Sweet Potato & Kale Mediterranean Falafel Bowl draws inspiration from dried fruits and smokey rice in dishes like Mandi that are popular around the Arabian peninsula and North Africa, with sweet potatoes, kale, corn, chickpeas, raisins, and dried cranberries with falafel over characteristically yellow turmeric rice tossed in a lemon vinaigrette.

Moussallati Sibai’s favorite flavor is the Zesty Artichoke & Quinoa bowl, based directly on her grandmother’s recipe for Riz bi Fool, which directly translates as “rice with beans.” It features bright green fava beans and whole slices of artichokes with falafel over sumac rice in a zesty lemon dill dressing.

The final flavor of Crispy Onion & Lentil is heavily inspired by Mujadara, a signature Middle Eastern comfort-food dish of lentils, rice, and deeply caramelized onions served here with falafel, parsley, red quinoa and a savory pomegranate dressing.

“Mediterranean food is booming in restaurants, and consumers are learning how wide-ranging the Mediterranean diet really is, and they’re looking for options in groceries that go beyond hummus, olives, and feta,” Moussallati Sibai said. “We can’t wait for consumers to be transported by these flavors that say home to us, and to bring those flavors to America.”

The new line brings Afia’s total SKUs to 10, including 5 flavors of frozen falafel and 1 SKU of frozen beef kibbeh (available regionally in Texas).

Moussallati Sibai, who is of Syrian and British descent, founded Afia with her husband, Yassin Sibai, using the little black recipe book that her mother-in-law brought with her when she came to America when fleeing the war in Syria. Moussallati Sibai herself had endured immense personal tragedy and great loss before starting over in Austin and missed the flavors of home. She quickly saw the importance that food played for so many people as a connection to home — and set out to introduce the American consumer to updated Mediterranean favorites, using quality, whole food ingredients.

The announcement of Afia’s new line continues Afia’s year of growth, following the closing of a $3MM Series A funding round and the completion of Afia’s new 20,000-square-foot, purpose-built manufacturing facility in the Austin area. This new line will be the first new product launch from the new facility, which can produce 500,000 falafel a day and will support Afia as it grows all three lines of frozen Mediterranean food nationally.

Afia products are currently  available in more than 3,000 retail locations nationwide including Whole Foods Market, Giant Landover, Publix, H-E-B, Harris Teeter and Wegmans, along with other regional natural and grocery chains, independents, foodservice, and online grocery delivery. A full list of stores can be found online.

Afia is dedicated to nourishing the community through more than food. Beyond regular donations to local food banks, Afia is committed to supporting their local community of refugees through employment and mentoring.

About Afia 

Afia, which means “to your health” in Arabic, is a Mediterranean food company headquartered in Austin, Texas, driven by a mission to make food powerful. Co-Founded by Farrah Moussallati Sibai, who had resettled in Texas after enduring great personal tragedy and loss in Syria, Afia’s products infuse the meals of her past with modern flavors. Using her mother-in-law’s little black book of old Syrian family recipes, Moussallati Sibai began selling Afia’s signature frozen falafel and kibbeh at one farmers’ market in 2017. Afia now offers 10 different SKUs at more than 3000 retail locations nationwide and online.

Afia proudly became one of  H-E-B’s Supplier Diversity Supplier of the Year award recipients and a Chobani’s Incubator brand, both in 2019. The brand was also recognized by the Greater Austin Chamber of Commerce with the Greater Austin Business Award for Best Consumer Product in 2021 and Progressive Grocer’s Impact Award in 2021.

In 2022, Afia was honored by Austin Chamber and SXSW with their A List award for entrepreneurship, Moussallati Sibai was awarded the 2022 Austin Business Journal’s Women in Business award and Austin Inno gave them an Inno Fire Award. Afia is dedicated to nourishing the community through more than food through regular donations to local food banks and by supporting their local community of refugees through employment and mentoring.

For More Information:
https://afiafoods.com/blogs/news/afia-launches-new-mediterranean-falafel-bowls