But in Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia, and Tripolitania couscous is a staple. There is little in the way of archeological evidence of early use of couscous, mainly because the kiskis was probably a basket made from organic material set over a marmite -like terracotta bottom vessel and never survived. Some shards of a marmite -like vessel have been found in the medieval Muslim stratum at Chellala in Algeria, but the dating is difficult.
Interestingly, the couscous recipes from the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries are no different from the ones today. By the fourteenth century, there are many references to pasta secca and couscous.
In a dream the Prophet tells him that he should feed the sick man kouskoussoun , a word used as a noun. One of the earliest appearances of couscous in northern Europe is in Brittany, when Charles de Clairambault, the naval commissioner, in a letter dated January 12, , tells us that the Moroccan ambassador, c Abd Allah bin c Aisha, and his party of eighteen had brought their own flour and made couscoussou with dates and that it was a delicious dish they made for Ramadan.
Couscous is served with meat, fish, vegetables, and spices. Cooked simply with sour milk and melted butter, it left the hungry traveler feeling full and was the traditional food of the poorest, namely the nomadic Berbers.
For centuries, black African women were employed as couscous cooks, a phenomenon that might be indicative of the sub-Saharan African origins of couscous. Even today in Morocco the dada --young black Saharan and sub-Saharan women who serve as domestics, especially as cooks--are often employed to prepare couscous.
The Tuareg, a Muslim Berber tribe of the Sahara, also employ young black servant women to make couscous. Black slaves were also prominent as cooks in medieval Egyptian households and up until the nineteenth century. Couscous is a tiny pasta made of wheat or barley. Although couscous was traditionally hand-rolled, these days it's made by machine: Coarsely-ground durum wheat semolina is moistened and tossed with fine wheat flour until it forms tiny, round balls.
Most of the couscous available in North America is "instant" or quick-cooking. In Morocco, Algeria, and Tunisia, couscous is steamed over a simmered stew after being tossed with a little water or oil and water. There are three main types of couscous you'll see: Moroccan couscous, Israeli couscous pictured above , and Lebanese couscous.
Just one cup of couscous contains over half your daily recommended intake of selenium, a powerful antioxidant that helps fight inflammation and bad LDL cholesterol levels in the body. Couscous is also a good source of fiber, with one cup supplying almost 10 percent of your daily recommended intake, but you'll want to make sure you're pairing it with plenty of other fiber-rich foods as well. To get the most bang for your buck nutritionally, opt for whole-wheat couscous.
Couscous is more than just an accompaniment to stew. This cross between a pilaf and a salad is one of the most appealing non-traditional uses for couscous. It's quick to make and a great standby any time of year. You'll find it especially useful if you are cooking for vegetarians or vegans just omit the cheese and butter. Leftovers are delicious for breakfast with a fried egg on top. Couscous origin: The Berbers of North Africa.
The earliest origin of domesticated wheat is believed to be in the middle east and Nile Valley of Egypt around 9,BC. This spread to other parts of Europe, the Mediterranean and North west Africa over the next few thousand years. Durum wheat, specifically, might have become a thing from around 7, BC due to artificial selection by humans of specific wheat that was free-threshing — essentially meaning it was very easy to get the grains out just by shaking the ears of wheat.
The earliest evidence of milling is from BC, though flour could have been made in a more rudimentary form before that. Prior to flour, wheat grains could have simply been boiled, or cracked and then boiled. The exact date of couscous origin is unknown.
As couscous is made from ground wheat, it seems unlikely it could have been made any earlier than 6,BC. Around about the 13th century, Berber dynasties were taking power from arabic and moorish rulers across north africa and into the Iberian peninsular — Spain and portugal. We talked about this cookbook in our Madrid episode too, as it is said to show evidence for some classic Spanish dishes, like cocido.
There are some reasons why that is not a great argument in my opinion, more on that later. Another theory is that couscous first came to Sicily, in the 9th century under muslim rule of the island. But, everyone seems to agree it is of Berber origin and spread from there.
We hope to do another episode focusing on Berber cuisine and history more in depth. Couscous is a partially ground grain, being that, unlike flour, which is finely ground, couscous is coarsely ground.
It is most commonly made from durum wheat, which is the same type of hard wheat used to make semolina and semolina flour — that is popularly used to make pasta.
But, couscous can also been made from other grains like barley and millet. The confusion starts right from the beginning. Semolina is coarsely ground durum wheat, but so is couscous. So what is the difference between this, and also other coarsely ground wheat products, like bulgur wheat.
It gets even more confusing when some people say that couscous is a pasta because, like pasta it is made from semolina and water. Before I explain the primary differences, you need to understand how wheat is turned into these various product, so first, a crash course in wheat and milling.
The modern milling process is very effective at separating the constituent parts of every grain of wheat. So what are the constituent parts?
For simplicity, my crude analogy of a grain of wheat. Think of it like a wheat egg, with a yolk, white and shell. When whole wheat grain is first ground, these constituent parts separate, and can be filtered in the production process so you are left with three products, rather than whole wheat.
Processed White flour is made entirely from endosperm — the egg white, which is also the vast majority of the volume of each grain. Once separated from the germ and bran, this course endosperm can be sieved to separate the coarser and finer grains of semolina, and then packaged. Couscous is made from the semolina.
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