About Couscous:
Couscous is a traditional North African dish, and the national dish of Algeria,
Morocco and Tunisia. Couscous itself is hard-wheat semolina, which is rolled by
hand in a variety of consistencies and characteristics, in a way similar to
pasta, which comes in different shapes and consistencies. A good couscous is
characterized by lack of lumps in the steamed semolina. Therefore hand-rolling
semolina is considered an art. As pasta is served with a variety of sauces, so
couscous is traditionally served as a complete meal with an elaborate stew of
vegetables (pumpkin, zucchini, fava beans, carrots, chickpeas, turnips,
butternut squash and potatoes), and a variety of accompaniments, which may
include fish or meats (chicken, lamb, beef meatballs, or tripe). Sweet couscous
may also be served as dessert with buttermilk and embellished with fruits
(dates, pomegranate, almonds and grapes). Therefore, a meal of couscous is
nutritionally complete, because it contains grains, proteins, and vegetables.
People of North Africa traditionally prepare in the fall their yearly supply of
couscous. Because of the large amount of semolina to be sifted through different
sieves from coarser to finer, the event requires a large congregation: family,
neighbors and friends gather to help rolling the couscous. A meal of couscous
also has important religious characteristics and it marks the important events
in the lives of North African people, such as weddings and funerals. It may also
be given as charity to poor people in order to gather blessing for the entire
family.
