This Semolina-shaped pasta is gaining space on tablecloths because it does not require an expert in the kitchen to prepare it and because it accepts all ingredients.

Pasta goes well with everything: meat, fish, vegetables, dairy products… Couscous, which is pasta in the form of semolina, is even more versatile, as it appears in dishes with a sweet touch. It can even be incorporated into soups or as part of the filling of surprising cannelloni and croquettes, quiches or Greek pastries. If you want to learn more about couscous, recipes and how it is prepared, follow this link: https://riceselect.com/product/riceselect-pearl-couscous.  

Its origin  

It was born as a use of the semolina that was ground. They were the grains that, due to deficiencies in the stone of the millstone, did not become flour. It was separated and, as it was accumulated, the Tamazigh peoples of North Africa decided that this Food could not be thrown away. By simply subjecting it to a light steam boiling, it became a nutritious dish. Today, couscous is the national dish of the Maghreb countries (Morocco, Tunisia and Libya), where it originated. But it has crossed these borders and is consumed throughout the Levantine Mediterranean.

Couscous was born as a use for grains that were not turned into flour  

The standard couscous is a semolina formed by small balls of about one millimeter. Logically, it is now no longer a by-product of wheat milling, but is made expressly. It has become the “rice” of the Arab world, the accompanying carbohydrate for everything. It can also be found in whole wheat flour.

The neutral taste of this semolina is the key to its success. It can be kept if it is hydrated only with water, but it can also be flavored if the broth used is vegetable, poultry, meat or fish, or by adding a few strands of saffron, as is the custom in Morocco. Then it acquires another dimension, and on its own it can be considered a good dish. However, it almost always appears as the bodyguard of another main dish.

In many Maghrebi houses the “couscous pots” are still used profusely, in reality steamers that could be used for many other purposes. In the main pot, meat, vegetables or fish are boiled with the corresponding spices. With the rising steam, the upper vessel, equipped with perforations, slowly boils the couscous, which swells and doubles in size. Then, the components of the two pots are brought together on the plate. An elegant way to do this is in a decorative tajine.

The ingestion of this food comes from ancient times. Archaeologists have found couscous dishes in the excavations of the tombs of King Masinisa, who ruled over part of what is now Algeria in the third century BC. Finding the origin of the word is more difficult. Some say it could be koskus or koskosu, precisely containers with holes used in the western Mediterranean since ancient times. Others say that the French adapted it during their colonial period, designating it a fine grind. The most beautiful, however, is the one that points out that it could come from al kuskus, the amount of food that a chicken can pick up with its beak in one go, that is, a few grains.

The name couscous could come from al kuskus: the amount of food a chicken can pick up with one peck  

Although couscous has become widespread in our kitchens and restaurants only a few decades ago, it has been known since part of the Iberian Peninsula was under Muslim rule. And whoever rummages through the pages of the masterpiece of medieval Catalan literature Tirant lo Blanc will already find a reference to this food. A century later, Francisco Delicado also incorporates it in the story of La lozana andaluza, which takes place in Rome.

Couscous is rich in carbohydrates and vitamins B1, B3 and B5. It also contains interesting amounts of phosphorus, calcium and potassium. It is abundant in protein and a good source of fiber and very low in fat.

In addition to vegetarians, who are always on the lookout for healthy foods, the great gurus of today’s cuisine have embraced couscous for its versatility. It is equally useful for those who like strong flavors and neutral ones, because it depends on the watering broth that acquires one tendency or another.