Divided Maghreb countries celebrate one common thing: the Couscous

Posted On 17 December 2020

Number of times this article was read : 399

Couscous, the Berber dish beloved across northern Africa’s Maghreb region and beyond, Wednesday joined the UN list of the world’s intangible cultural heritage. The countries that submitted the listing to UNESCO — Algeria, Morocco, Tunisia and Mauritania — may have their differences, but their common love of the grain staple runs deep. “Couscous, present at every social or cultural event, is at once ordinary and special,” their joint presentation argued. “Ordinary because of the frequency of its use in a family setting, and special because of the unifying and propitiatory role it plays at convivial community occasions at which food is shared.”

Bland by itself, couscous is served with meat or fish, spicey stews, chickpeas and vegetables in a mouth-watering variety of dishes. Moroccan restaurant owner Hicham Hazzoum was among the couscous connoisseurs who applauded UNESCO’s honour. “I think we are the only Arab countries to have a high regard for this dish,” he said. “It is impossible not to eat it every Friday. “Moroccans are crazy about couscous and even children love it. It shows that the couscous flame will never go out.” Across the region, couscous — also known as Seksu, Kusksi and Kseksu — is as elementary as rice or noodles are to Asian cuisine, the staple without which no meal is complete.

Arabic dictionaries have documented “Kuskusi” since the 19th century, though it is known to be far older. The regional pride in couscous found full expression in the countries’ joint nomination for the “knowledge, know-how and practices pertaining to  the production and consumption of couscous”. “Women and men, young and old, sedentary and nomadic, from rural or urban communities or from immigrant backgrounds all identify with this element,” it gushed. “The ethos of couscous is the expression of community life.”

‘Great unifier’

Tunisian chef Taieb Bouhadra said his country took pride in its different types of couscous. “There are many varieties, almost every house has its own grain,” said the owner of El Ali restaurant, in the old city of Tunis. Couscous is prepared from wheat or barley, and sometimes from maize, millet or sorghum, which is ground into semolina. This is rolled into pellets which are sieved and later soaked and repeatedly steamed. “Women, in particular, play a fundamental role in the preparation and consumption of the dish, and in practising and preserving the related symbolic value systems,” said the paper. The girls learn not only the techniques, but also “the songs, gestures, characteristic oral expressions and ritual organisation” that go along with the process.

Algerian chef Rabah Ourrad said about making his couscous dishes: “I didn’t learn this in a cooking school. It’s decades of observing the mother, the sisters and all North African women who are experts in this.” In an often fractious region, there were hopes the joint bid would strengthen a sense of common identity. After Algeria four years ago sparked the ire of regional rival Morocco by planning its own couscous nomination, the 2020 bid was a cross-Maghreb initiative. Ourrad also passionately argued that couscous could serve as the region’s great unifier. Algeria, Morocco and Tunisia all have their particular styles, he said, but adding: “We are all the same people, and the couscous is Maghrebi, the couscous is ours.” Not everyone was fully on board with the mushy couscous diplomacy, including Hazzoum, the Moroccan restaurant manager. “I say this with all due respect to other countries,” he told AFP, “but Moroccan couscous is the best.”

AFP

The Couscous Wiki

Couscous (: كُسْكُس, kuskus) is a traditional North African dish of small granules of rolled that is often served with a spooned on top. , , , and other cereals are sometimes cooked in a similar way in other regions, and the resulting dishes are also sometimes called couscous.

Couscous is a throughout the of , , , , and . It was integrated into French and European cuisine at the beginning of the twentieth century, through the and the of .

In 2020, couscous was added to 's .

Etymology

The word "couscous" (alternately cuscus or kuskus) was first noted in early 17th century French, from Arabic kuskus, from kaskasa 'to pound', and is probably of origin. The term seksu is attested in various Berber dialects such as and , while Saharan Berber dialects such as and have a slightly different form, keskesu. This widespread geographical dispersion of the term strongly suggests its local Berber origin, lending further support to its likely Berber roots as Algerian linguist suggests.

The Berber root *KS means "well formed, well rolled, rounded." Numerous names and pronunciations for couscous exist around the world.

History

couscous from .

It is unclear when couscous originated. Food historian Lucie Bolens believes couscous originated millennia ago, during the reign of in the ancient kingdom of in present-day . Traces of cooking vessels akin to have been found in graves from the 3rd century BC, from the time of the berber kings of , in the city of , . dating back to the 12th century were found in the ruins of , located in the valley of .

According to food writer , couscous originated among the of Algeria and Morocco between the end of the 11th-century , modern-day , and the rise of the 13th-century . The historian Hady Idris noted that couscous is attested to during the , but not the Zirid dynasty.

In the 12th century, cooks were preparing dishes of non-mushy grains by stirring flour with water to create light, round balls of couscous dough that could be steamed.

The historian found three recipes for couscous from the 13th century Kitab al-Wusla ila al-Habib, written by an author, and the anonymous Arabic cooking book and Ibn Razin al-Tujibi's Fadalat al-khiwan also contain recipes.

Couscous is believed to have been spread among the inhabitants of the Iberian Peninsula by the Berber dynasties of the 13th century, though it is no longer found in traditional Spanish or Portuguese cuisine. In modern-day , , the dish is still made to the medieval recipe of author Ibn Razin al-Tujibi. Ligurian families that moved from to brought the dish with them to in the 18th century.

Known in France since the 16th century, it was brought into French cuisine at the beginning of the 20th century via the and the Pieds-Noirs.

Preparation

Brown couscous with vegetables in Tunisia.

Couscous is traditionally made from semolina, the hardest part of the grain of durum wheat (the hardest of all forms of wheat), which resists the grinding of the millstone. The semolina is sprinkled with water and rolled with the hands to form small pellets, sprinkled with dry flour to keep them separate, and then sieved. Any pellets that are too small to be finished, granules of couscous fall through the sieve and are again rolled and sprinkled with dry semolina and rolled into pellets. This labor-intensive process continues until all the semolina has been formed into tiny couscous granules. In the traditional method of preparing couscous, groups of people come together to make large batches over several days, which are then dried in the sun and used for several months. Handmade couscous may need to be rehydrated as it is prepared; this is achieved by a process of moistening and steaming over stew until the couscous reaches the desired light and fluffy consistency.

In some regions, couscous is made from or coarsely ground or .

A kiskas (French: ), a traditional steamer for couscous.

In modern times, couscous production is largely mechanized, and the product is sold worldwide. This couscous can be sauteed before it is cooked in water or another liquid. Properly cooked couscous is light and fluffy, not gummy or gritty.

Traditionally, North Africans use a (called a taseksut in the , a كِسْكَاس kiskas in Arabic or a in French language). The base is a tall metal pot shaped like an oil jar, where the meat and vegetables are cooked as a stew. On top of the base, a steamer sits where the couscous is cooked, absorbing the flavours from the stew. The steamer's lid has holes around its edge so steam can escape. It is also possible to use a pot with a steamer insert. If the holes are too big, the steamer can be lined with damp .

The couscous that is sold in most is usually pre-steamed and dried. It is typically prepared by adding 1.5 measures of boiling water or stock to each measure of couscous and then leaving it covered tightly for about five minutes. Pre-steamed couscous takes less time to prepare than regular couscous, most dried pasta, or dried grains (such as rice). Packaged sets of quick-preparation couscous and canned vegetables, and generally meat, are routinely sold in European grocery stores and supermarkets. Couscous is widely consumed in France, where it was introduced by immigrants and voted the third most popular dish in a 2011 survey.

Recognition

In December 2020, Algeria, Mauritania, Morocco, and Tunisia obtained official recognition for the knowledge, know-how, and practices pertaining to the production and consumption of couscous on the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity by . The joint submission by the four countries was hailed as an "example of international cooperation."

Local variations

Moroccan couscous with and roasted chicken.

Couscous proper is about 2 mm in diameter, but there also exists a larger variety (3 mm more) known as berkoukes, as well as an ultra-fine version (around 1 mm). In Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia, and Libya, it is generally served with vegetables (, , and ) cooked in a spicy or mild or stew, usually with some meat (generally, , ).

Couscous with vegetables, meat, and .

Algeria

Algerian couscous from Biskra.

is a traditional staple food in Algeria, and it plays an important role in Algerian culture and cuisine. It is commonly served with vegetables, meat, or fish. In Algeria, there are various types of couscous dishes.

Tunisia

Fish couscous from Tunisia.

In Tunisia, couscous is usually spicy, made with sauce, and served commonly with vegetables and meat, including lamb, fish, seafood, beef, and sometimes (in southern regions) camel. couscous is a Tunisian specialty and can also be made with , or other in a hot, red, spicy sauce. Couscous can also be served as a dessert. It is then called Masfuf. Masfuf can also contain raisins, grapes, or pomegranate seeds.

Libya

In Libya, couscous is mostly served with lamb (but sometimes or, rarely, beef) in Tripoli and the western parts of Libya, but not during official ceremonies or weddings. Another way to eat couscous is as a dessert; it is prepared with dates, sesame, and pure honey and is locally referred to as maghrood.

Malta

In Malta, small round pasta slightly larger than typical couscous is known as kusksu. It is commonly used in a dish of the same name, which includes broad beans (known in as ful) and ġbejniet, a local type of cheese.

Mauritania

In Mauritania, the couscous uses large wheat grains (mabroum) and is darker than the yellow couscous of Morocco. It is cooked with lamb, beef, or camel meat together with vegetables, primarily onion, tomato, and carrots, then mixed with a sauce and served with , locally known as dhen.

Similar foods

Couscous is made from crushed wheat flour rolled into its constituent granules or pearls, making it distinct from pasta, even pasta such as and of similar size, which is made from ground wheat and either molded or extruded. Couscous and pasta have similar nutritional value, although pasta is usually more refined.

Several dishes worldwide are also made from granules, like those of couscous rolled from flour from grains or other milled or grated starchy crops.

  • , a staple food in Côte d'Ivoire and surrounding regions of West Africa, is made from granulated grated .
  • Cuscuz (Portuguese pronunciation: ) is a couscous-like dish from the . It is made out of and eaten hot with meat and cold with milk. In the state of the cuscuz is pressed into a mold decorated with orange slices, in a dish called "cuscuz Paulista," a variation of the original version made by locals after migrant waves from the Northeast Region.
  • is a couscous-like dish from Niger. It may be made from semolina for special occasions but is often made with rice, millet, or other grain. leaves are traditionally included in the dish. In France, this Nigerien dish has been adapted as a specific variant (called couscous aux épinards) of the Maghreb-syle couscous commonly found there, often using spinach in place of the moringa.
  • is a type of pasta from Sardinia. It is similar to North African Berkoukes and Middle Eastern Moghrabieh. Fregula comes in varying sizes but typically consists of semolina dough rolled into balls 2–3 mm in diameter and toasted in an oven.
  • Kouskousaki (Κουσκουσάκι (in Greek) or kuskus (in Turkish) is a pasta from Greece and Turkey, that is boiled and served with cheese and walnuts.
Maftoul, a Palestinian variety of couscous that is made with bulgur.
  • In the Levant, the dish known as moghrabieh (a reference to the Maghreb region) uses the same durum-based semolina flour but rolled into larger (5–6 mm or 31614 in in diameter) 'pearls' to create a dish that is popular across Jordan, Lebanon and Syria. The pearls are either cooked as part of a stew or flavored with cinnamon and served alongside a chicken and chickpea broth.
  • Palestinian maftoul uses granules that are larger than the North African variety but smaller than moghrabieh pearls (2–3 mm or 11618 in in diameter) and made with or , or a mix of both. It is similarly served alongside a chicken and chickpea broth. "Maftoul" is an Arabic word derived from the root "fa-ta-la," which means to roll or to twist, describing the hand-rolling method used to make the granules.
  • Wusu-Wusu is a couscous that is prepared out of in the Hausa region of Nigeria, Benin, Togo and Ghana.

Dishes with similar names

is an extruded and toasted pasta and does not share main ingredients or method of production with couscous.

  • : , , , , and

UNESCO’s Inscription of Couscous Traditions, an Example of International Cultural Cooperation

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