A millennium-old recipe takes a new shape.
My family has run an Italian restaurant for over 30 years. But what I always loved more was the Egyptian cooking at home. Especially ta'ameya — Egypt's original falafel, made from fava beans instead of chickpeas. Outside of Egyptian households, nobody really knows what ta'ameya is.
When I moved to NYC I noticed the same gap, so I started popping up at events with my dad's recipe. Sharing a piece of my family with the city.
A deep fryer wasn't going to work long-term, so I started experimenting. Tried a panini press — worked. Then a Belgian waffle iron. Crispier edges, fluffy inside. Growing up in the South, waffles were a huge deal — waffle houses everywhere, chicken-and-waffle lines down the block. Pressing ta'ameya into a waffle iron just felt authentic to me and my identity.
That's how Fawaffles happened. Crispy, plant-based, gluten-free, unmistakably Egyptian.
Mission's the same — get Egyptian food on more tables. Bringing a piece of my family with it.
One person built this. No VC, no Israeli money, no family money — just me and a recipe from my father's kitchen.
— Micho Hanna
Founder, Musha