Couscous: Difference between revisions

Latest revision as of 13:13, 19 May 2026

Template:Infobox food Couscous^{[lower-alpha 1]} (Tamazight : ⵙⴽⵙⵓ seksu or ⴽⵙⴽⵙⵓ keskesu^[3]) , is a traditional North African dish^[4]^[5] of small^{[lower-alpha 2]} steamed granules of rolled semolina^[6] that is often served with a stew spooned on top. Pearl millet, sorghum, bulgur, and other cereals are sometimes cooked in a similar way in other regions, and the resulting dishes are also sometimes called couscous.^[7]^[8]^: 18^[9]

Couscous is a staple food throughout the Maghrebi cuisines of Algeria, Tunisia, Mauritania, Morocco, and Libya.^[10]^[11]^: 250 It was integrated into French and European cuisine at the beginning of the twentieth century,^[12] through the French colonial empire and the Pieds-Noirs of Algeria.^[13]^[14]^[15]

In 2020, couscous was added to UNESCO's Intangible Cultural Heritage list.^[16]

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 Berber origin.^[17]^[18]^[19] The term seksu is attested in various Berber varieties such as Kabyle and Riffian, while Saharan Berber varieties such as Touareg and Ghadames 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 Salem Chaker suggests.^[17]

The Berber root *KS means "well formed, well rolled, rounded."^[17]^[18] Numerous names and pronunciations for couscous exist around the world.^[20]^: 919

According to María Teresa Santamaría Hernández, the Arabic name kuskūs, first recorded in the 13th century in Al-Andalus, can be better explained from Latin adjective *coscosus. The Latin noun coscus had an ancient Mediterranean origin, and referred to small rounded or curved objects, and hence to small animals such as worms, ants, termites and woodworms. This word coscus and its variant cossus appear in Latin veterinary treatises and in glossaries, and might have been very common in North Africa, and perhaps also in southern Spain. Therefore, *coscosus meant ‘full of worms’, also in a metaphorical sense referring to this dish of granules or rolled semolina. In medieval Spanish, the word cozcucho, from Andalusi Arabic, is recorded in the 13th century, and alcuzcuzu, alcuzcuçu, cuzcuz and other variants referred since the first half of the 15th century to this dish considered typical of Moors and Moriscos. This same dish was also called formigos, hormigos and hormiguillos (‘resembling ants’) from the 15th century onwards in a metaphorical sense, since the original meaning of cuzcuz had not been lost.^[21]

History

File:Algerian couscous from Kabylia.jpg

Algerian couscous from Kabylia

It is unclear when couscous originated. Food historian Lucie Bolens believes couscous originated millennia ago, during the reign of Masinissa in the ancient kingdom of Numidia^[5]^[22] in present-day Algeria.^[23]^[24]^[25]^[26] Traces of cooking vessels akin to couscoussiers have been found in graves from the 3rd century BC, from the time of the Berber kings of Numidia, in Kabylia, Algeria.^[27]^[28] Cooking utensils that closely resemble couscoussiers dating back to the 9th century were found in Tiaret, Algeria.^[29] Couscoussiers dating back to the 12th century were found in the ruins of Igiliz, located in the Sous valley of Morocco.^[30]

According to food writer Charles Perry, couscous originated among the Berbers of Algeria and Morocco between the end of the 11th-century Zirid dynasty, modern-day Algeria, and the rise of the 13th-century Almohad Caliphate.^[19] The historian Hady Idris noted that couscous is attested to during the Hafsid dynasty, but not the Zirid dynasty.^[19] Historian Marianne Brisville stated that couscous could be recognised in the 11th century under the word taam, the oldest mention is in Ouargla, Algeria.^[31]

In the 12th century, Maghrebi 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.^[32]

The historian Maxime Rodinson found three recipes for couscous from the 13th century Arabic cookbook Kitab al-Wusla ila al-Habib, written by an Ayyubid author,^[19] and the anonymous Arabic cooking book Kitab al tabikh and Ibn Razin al-Tujibi's Fadalat al-khiwan also contain recipes.^[26]

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 Trapani, Sicily, the dish is still made to the medieval recipe of Andalusian author Ibn Razin al-Tujibi. Ligurian families that moved from Tabarka to Sardinia brought the dish with them to Carloforte in the 18th century.^[33]

Known in France since the 16th century, it was brought into French cuisine at the beginning of the 20th century via the French colonial empire and the Pieds-Noirs.^[34]

Preparation

File:Femme semoule couscous.jpg

Woman preparing couscous from semolina

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.^[35]

In some regions, couscous is made from farina or coarsely ground barley or pearl millet.

File:Couscoussier.jpg

A kiskas (French: couscoussier), 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.^[35] Properly cooked couscous is light and fluffy, not gummy or gritty.

Traditionally, North Africans use a food steamer (called a taseksut in the Berber language, a كِسْكَاس kiskas in Arabic or a couscoussier in French). 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 cheesecloth.

The couscous that is sold in most Western grocery stores 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 Maghreb immigrants^[36] and voted the third most popular dish in a 2011 survey.^[37]^[38]

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 UNESCO. The joint submission by the four countries was hailed as an "example of international cooperation."^[39]^[40]

Local variations

File:Algerian Couscous from Biskra.jpg

Algerian couscous from Biskra

File:CouscousDromadaire (2).JPG

Mauritanian couscous with camel

File:Couscous Tfaya 3.jpg

Moroccan couscous with tfaya and roasted chicken

File:MoroccanCouscous.jpg

Moroccan Couscous with vegetables, meat, and tfaya

File:Fish couscous from Kerkenah, Tunisia, August 16th, 2007.jpg

Fish couscous from Tunisia

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).^[19] In Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia, and Libya, it is generally served with vegetables (carrots, potatoes, and turnips) cooked in a spicy or mild broth or stew, usually with some meat (generally, chicken, lamb, or mutton).

Algeria

Algerian couscous is a traditional staple food in Algeria, and it plays an important role in Algerian cuisine. It is commonly served with vegetables, meat, or fish. In Algeria, there are various types of couscous dishes.^[19]

Egypt

In Egypt, couscous (Script error: The function "langx" does not exist., Template:Transliteration) is traditionally prepared and consumed as a sweet dish, differing notably from the savory couscous dishes commonly associated with other North African cuisines. It is typically served for breakfast, as a light evening meal, or as a dessert. The preparation involves steaming or soaking the couscous with melted butter and hot water, after which it is topped with a variety of sweet ingredients. Common toppings include sugar (white, brown, or powdered), cinnamon, grated coconut, raisins, and assorted nuts such as almonds, walnuts, or hazelnuts. In some variations, sweetened condensed milk may also be used.^[41]

Libya

In Libya, couscous is mostly served with lamb (but sometimes camel meat 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 Maltese as ful) and ġbejniet, a local type of cheese.^[42]

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 ghee, locally known as dhen.

Morocco

In Morocco, couscous is a cultural staple traditionally served on Fridays following midday prayers. One of the most iconic preparations is couscous with seven vegetables, which typically features a broth of beef, lamb, or chicken, piled high with a variety of slow-cooked vegetables such as carrots, turnips, pumpkin, zucchini, and cabbage, alongside chickpeas. Another celebrated variation is couscous tfaya, a sweet and savory dish where the steamed semolina and meat are topped with a caramelized garnish of onions, raisins, cinnamon, and toasted almonds.^[43] It is often served in a large communal clay platter known as a gsaa.

Tunisia

In Tunisia, couscous is usually spicy, made with harissa sauce, and served commonly with vegetables and meat, including lamb, fish, seafood, beef, and sometimes (in southern regions) camel. Fish couscous is a Tunisian specialty and can also be made with octopus, squid or other seafood 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.

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 orzo and risoni 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.^[6]

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

File:مغربية.jpg

Moghrabieh, in a stew with meat, chickpeas and onions

Attiéké, a staple food in Côte d'Ivoire and surrounding regions of West Africa, is made from granulated grated cassava.
Dambou 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. Moringa leaves are traditionally included in the dish.^[44]^[45] 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.^[46]
Fregula 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.^[47]

File:Palestinian couscous.jpg

Maftoul, a Palestinian variety of couscous that is made with bulgur.

Wusu-Wusu is a couscous that is prepared out of fonio in the Hausa region of Nigeria, Benin, Togo and Ghana.^[48]

Cuscuz

Cuscuz (pt) is a couscous-like dish from the Northeast Region of Brazil. It is made out of cornmeal and eaten hot with meat and cold with milk.^[49] In the state of São Paulo, a speciality known as cuscuz-paulista [pt] is made with cornmeal, tomato sauce, tomato pieces, olive oil, boiled egg and other ingredients, such as peas, sweet corn, hearts of palm and sardines. It is also possible to find the dish made with shredded chicken, tuna or shrimp. All the ingredients are cooked in a pan and then placed and left to set in a mould with a hole in the middle. The mould is then inverted onto a serving dish.

Moghrabieh

In the Levant, the dish known as moghrabieh (Script error: The function "langx" does not exist., a reference to the Maghreb region) uses the same durum-based semolina flour but rolled into larger (5–6 mm or 3⁄16–1⁄4 in in diameter) 'pearls' to create a dish that is commonly served across Jordan, Lebanon and Syria.^[50]^[51] The pearls are either cooked as part of a stew or flavored with cinnamon and served alongside a chicken and chickpea broth.^[52]^[53]

Maftoul

Palestinian maftoul (Script error: The function "langx" does not exist., also romanized as maftool) uses granules that are larger than the North African variety but smaller than moghrabieh pearls (2–3 mm or 1⁄16–1⁄8 in in diameter) and made by hand-rolling bulgur into flour, the bulgur is soaked in water before its rolled. After the pearls are rolled, they are steamed then sun-dried for preservation.^[54]^[55]^[50]^[56]^[57]^[58] Some varieties use fine semolina, white, or whole flour,^[50] oil is also commonly added.^[50]^[58] The hand-rolling makes the grains uneven in shape and size compared to moghrabieh and similar foods.^[50]^[57]^[59] 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.^[35]^[60]^[55] It is attested as early as 1907, in Elihu Grant's The Peasantry of Palestine.^[61]

Dishes with similar names

Israeli couscous is an extruded and toasted pasta and does not share main ingredients or method of production with couscous.^[62]

Notes

↑ Known in Arabic as كُسْكُس Template:Transliteration, in Taqbaylit as ⵙⵉⴽⵙⵓ seksu, in Tacawit as ⴰⴱⴻⵔⴱⵓⵛ aberbuc,^[1] and in Mozabite: ⵓⵛⵛⵓ as uccu.^[2]
↑ Usually about 2 mm (1⁄16 in) in diameter, though a finer (1 mm) and larger varieties (3 mm or more) also exist in North Africa.

References

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↑ Nouh Mefnoune, Ahmed; Abdessalam, Brahim (2011). Dictionnaire mozabite-français.
↑ Salem Chaker, Couscous : sur l’étymologie du mot .
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↑ ^6.0 ^6.1 Shulman, Martha Rose (February 23, 2009). "Couscous: Just Don't Call It Pasta". The New York Times. Archived from the original on February 25, 2009. Retrieved May 19, 2022.
↑ Taylor, J.R.N.; Barrion, S.C.; Rooney, L.W. (2010). "Pearl Millet—New Developments in an Ancient Food Grain" (PDF). Cereal Foods World. Cereal and Grains Association. 55 (1): 16–19. doi:10.1094/CFW-55-1-0016. Retrieved May 19, 2022.^{[dead link]}
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↑ Hammami, Rifka; Barbar, Reine; Laurent, Marie; Cuq, Bernard (March 22, 2022). "Durum Wheat Couscous Grains: An Ethnic Mediterranean Food at the Interface of Traditional Domestic Preparation and Industrial Manufacturing". Foods. 11 (7): 902. doi:10.3390/foods11070902. PMC 8998045 Check |pmc= value (help). PMID 35406989 Check |pmid= value (help). Quote: “Part of the origin of couscous is related to Numidians, the Berber population of Numidia. The culinary historian Lucie Bolens describes primitive pots that closely resemble the main cooking utensil of couscous, which is the couscoussier, found in Kabylia in tombs coming from the period of Berber king Massinissa”
↑ Bolens, Lucie (1990). La cuisine andalouse, un art de vivre: XIe-XIIIe siècle. Albin Michel. ISBN 9782226041005. Archived from the original on November 9, 2024. Retrieved May 19, 2022.
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↑ Fili, Abdallah; Ettahiri, Ahmed Saleh; Van Staëvel, Jean-Pierre; Serrat, Ihssane (2020). "Première approche typologique de la céramique protoalmohade d'Igiliz (Maroc)" [First typological approach to the proto-Almohad pottery of Igiliz (Morocco)]. Bulletin d'Archéologie Marocaine. 25 (25): 101–123. doi:10.34874/IMIST.PRSM/bam-v25.29693. eISSN 2820-6908. ISSN 0068-4015. Archived from the original on November 13, 2022. Retrieved November 13, 2022.
↑ Brisville, Marianne (May 2020). "Et le Moyen Âge inventa le couscous". L’Histoire. L’Histoire (Revue). Archived from the original on November 19, 2025. Retrieved January 28, 2026. Le terme arabe kuskusu, qui désigne aussi bien la semoule que le plat, apparaît dans les livres de cuisine de l'Occident islamique médiéval à partir du XIIe-XIIIe siècle. On peut le reconnaître dès le XIe siècle sous le vocable de taam (nourriture, céréales) dans des récits de saints. La plus ancienne mention évoque un repas offert par les habitants d'Ouargla (dans le nord-est de l'Algérie) à un mystique : « Ils préparèrent un taam surmonté de saucisses. »
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↑ ^{[citation needed]}
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↑ Tamimi, Sami; Wrigley, Tara (June 10, 2020). "The Ultimate Guide to Palestinian Food". Sous Chef. Archived from the original on September 13, 2025. Retrieved February 5, 2026.
↑ ^55.0 ^55.1 "المفتول الفلسطيني... وجبة الشتاء وجمعة العائلة" [Palestinian couscous... a winter meal and a family gathering]. The New Arab (in Arabic). 2018. Retrieved February 5, 2026.
↑ Mishan, Ligaya (February 12, 2020). "The Rise of Palestinian Food". The New York Times. Archived from the original on August 3, 2020. Retrieved February 5, 2026.
↑ ^57.0 ^57.1 Ottolenghi, Yotam (April 26, 2013). "Yotam Ottolenghi's maftoul recipes". The Guardian. Retrieved May 19, 2022.
↑ ^58.0 ^58.1 Tamimi, Sami (July 15, 2025). Boustany: A Celebration of Vegetables from my Palestine [A Cookbook]. Random House. p. 208. ISBN 978-1-9848-6318-8. Retrieved February 5, 2026.
↑ More Mediterranean: 225+ New Plant-Forward Recipes Endless Inspiration for Eating Well. America's Test Kitchen. December 7, 2021. p. 193,264. ISBN 978-1-948703-88-8. Retrieved February 5, 2026.
↑ Kalla, Joudie (February 9, 2017). "Palestinian recipes for maftoul tabbouleh and za'atar chicken". The Guardian. Retrieved September 10, 2025.
↑ Grant, Elihu (1907). The Peasantry of Palestine: The Life, Manners and Customs of the Village; Illustrated with Original Photographs. Pilgrim Press. p. 75. Retrieved March 27, 2026.
↑ Gaunt, Doram (May 9, 2008). "Ben-Gurion rice". Haaretz.

Template:Wheat Template:Cuisine of Algeria Template:Cuisine of Morocco Template:Cuisine of Tunisia Template:Cuisine of Israel

[3] Known in Arabic as كُسْكُس Template:Transliteration, in Taqbaylit as ⵙⵉⴽⵙⵓ seksu, in Tacawit as ⴰⴱⴻⵔⴱⵓⵛ aberbuc,^[1] and in Mozabite: ⵓⵛⵛⵓ as uccu.^[2]

[7] Usually about 2 mm (1⁄16 in) in diameter, though a finer (1 mm) and larger varieties (3 mm or more) also exist in North Africa.

[1] Akli Haddadou, Mohand (2012). Le Vocabulaire berbère commun suivi de Glossaire des racines berbères communes (in French). p. 540.

[2] Nouh Mefnoune, Ahmed; Abdessalam, Brahim (2011). Dictionnaire mozabite-français.

[4] Salem Chaker, Couscous : sur l’étymologie du mot .

[5] "Couscous". Encyclopedia Britannica. Retrieved May 19, 2022.

[chemache-6] 5.0 ^5.1 Chemache, Loucif; Kehal, Farida; Namoune, Hacène; Chaalal, Makhlouf; Gagaoua, Mohammed (September 2018). "Couscous: Ethnic making and consumption patterns in the Northeast of Algeria". Journal of Ethnic Foods. 5 (3): 211–219. doi:10.1016/j.jef.2018.08.002. ISSN 2352-6181. S2CID 133982691. a quote: “Couscous or seksu (Image 1) in Berber language or kuskus in Arabic is by origin a Numidian (the Berber population of Numidia) dish…”

[notpasta-8] 6.0 ^6.1 Shulman, Martha Rose (February 23, 2009). "Couscous: Just Don't Call It Pasta". The New York Times. Archived from the original on February 25, 2009. Retrieved May 19, 2022.

[9] Taylor, J.R.N.; Barrion, S.C.; Rooney, L.W. (2010). "Pearl Millet—New Developments in an Ancient Food Grain" (PDF). Cereal Foods World. Cereal and Grains Association. 55 (1): 16–19. doi:10.1094/CFW-55-1-0016. Retrieved May 19, 2022.^{[dead link]}

[milletCC-10] Taylor, J.R.N.; Barrion, S.C.; Rooney, L.W. (2010). "Pearl Millet—New Developments in an Ancient Food Grain" (PDF). Cereal Foods World. 55 (1): 16–19. doi:10.1094/CFW-55-1-0016. Archived from the original (PDF) on August 22, 2019. Retrieved May 19, 2022.

[codex-11] "The Codex Alimentarius (Codex Standard) (1995)" (PDF). Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. Archived (PDF) from the original on May 19, 2022. Retrieved May 19, 2022.

[Naylor2015-12] Naylor, Phillip C. (May 2015). Historical Dictionary of Algeria. Rowman & Littlefield. p. 195. ISBN 978-0-8108-7919-5.

[soletti-13] Soletti, Francesco; Selmi, Luca (2006). Turismo gastronomico in Italia, Volume 1. Touring Club Italiano. ISBN 978-88-365-3500-2.

[14] Sainéan, L. (1921). "L'Histoire Naturelle dans L'Oeuvre de Rabelais (8 e et dernier article)". Revue du Seizième siècle. 8 (1/2): 1–41. ISSN 0151-1823. JSTOR 41851648.

[15] Wagda, Marin (1997). "L'histoire d'une migration culinaire". Hommes & Migrations. 1207 (1): 163–166. doi:10.3406/homig.1997.2982. Archived from the original on June 7, 2022. Retrieved June 7, 2022.

[16] Tabois, Stéphanie (2005). "Cuisiner le passé. Souvenirs et pratiques culinaires des exilés pieds-noirs". Diasporas. Histoire et sociétés. 7 (1): 81–91. Archived from the original on June 7, 2022. Retrieved June 7, 2022.

[17] Albert-Llorca, Marlène (2004). "La mémoire des Pieds-noirs : une transmission impossible ?". Horizons Maghrébins - le droit à la mémoire. 51 (1): 169–176. doi:10.3406/horma.2004.2250.

[18] "UNESCO adds couscous to list of intangible world heritage". Al Jazeera English. December 16, 2020. Archived from the original on August 8, 2021. Retrieved May 19, 2022.

[:0-19] 17.0 ^17.1 ^17.2 Chaker, Salem. "Couscous : sur l'étymologie du mot" (PDF). INALCO - Centre de Recherche Berbère. Archived (PDF) from the original on August 16, 2011.

[:2-20] 18.0 ^18.1 Chastanet, Monique; Franconie, Hélène; Sigaut, François (March 2010). Couscous, boulgour et polenta. Transformer et consommer les céréales dans le monde (in French). Karthala Editions. ISBN 978-2-8111-3206-4. Retrieved May 19, 2022.

[:3-21] 19.0 ^19.1 ^19.2 ^19.3 ^19.4 ^19.5 Perry, Charles (1990). "Couscous and Its Cousins". In Walker, Harlan (ed.). Oxford Symposium on Food & Cookery, 1989: Staplefoods : Proceedings. Oxford Symposium. pp. 176–178. ISBN 978-0-907325-44-4. Retrieved May 19, 2022.

[foucauld-22] Foucauld, Charles de (1950–1952). Dictionnaire touareg-français : dialecte de l'Ahaggar (in French). Paris: Impr. nationale de France. Retrieved May 19, 2022.

[Santamaría-23] Santamaría, María Teresa (2025). "En los hormigos estaba la clave: etimología latina de (al)cuzcuz" (in Spanish). 25. Revista de Estudios Latinos, 25: 121-152. pp. 121–152. doi:10.23808/rel.v25i1.117562. Archived from the original on December 19, 2025. Retrieved December 20, 2025.

[hammami-24] Hammami, Rifka; Barbar, Reine; Laurent, Marie; Cuq, Bernard (March 22, 2022). "Durum Wheat Couscous Grains: An Ethnic Mediterranean Food at the Interface of Traditional Domestic Preparation and Industrial Manufacturing". Foods. 11 (7): 902. doi:10.3390/foods11070902. PMC 8998045 Check |pmc= value (help). PMID 35406989 Check |pmid= value (help). Quote: “Part of the origin of couscous is related to Numidians, the Berber population of Numidia. The culinary historian Lucie Bolens describes primitive pots that closely resemble the main cooking utensil of couscous, which is the couscoussier, found in Kabylia in tombs coming from the period of Berber king Massinissa”

[Bolens-25] Bolens, Lucie (1990). La cuisine andalouse, un art de vivre: XIe-XIIIe siècle. Albin Michel. ISBN 9782226041005. Archived from the original on November 9, 2024. Retrieved May 19, 2022.

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[29] Chemache, Loucif, Farida Kehal, Hacène Namoune, Makhlouf Chaalal, and Mohammed Gagaoua. "Couscous: Ethnic making and consumption patterns in the Northeast of Algeria." Journal of Ethnic Foods 5, no. 3 (2018): 211-219 Archived December 18, 2021, at the Wayback Machine.

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[31] Sidi Boumediene, Rachid (2024). L'arbre des couscous: Unité et diversité d'un patrimoine. Chihab.

[32] Fili, Abdallah; Ettahiri, Ahmed Saleh; Van Staëvel, Jean-Pierre; Serrat, Ihssane (2020). "Première approche typologique de la céramique protoalmohade d'Igiliz (Maroc)" [First typological approach to the proto-Almohad pottery of Igiliz (Morocco)]. Bulletin d'Archéologie Marocaine. 25 (25): 101–123. doi:10.34874/IMIST.PRSM/bam-v25.29693. eISSN 2820-6908. ISSN 0068-4015. Archived from the original on November 13, 2022. Retrieved November 13, 2022.

[33] Brisville, Marianne (May 2020). "Et le Moyen Âge inventa le couscous". L’Histoire. L’Histoire (Revue). Archived from the original on November 19, 2025. Retrieved January 28, 2026. Le terme arabe kuskusu, qui désigne aussi bien la semoule que le plat, apparaît dans les livres de cuisine de l'Occident islamique médiéval à partir du XIIe-XIIIe siècle. On peut le reconnaître dès le XIe siècle sous le vocable de taam (nourriture, céréales) dans des récits de saints. La plus ancienne mention évoque un repas offert par les habitants d'Ouargla (dans le nord-est de l'Algérie) à un mystique : « Ils préparèrent un taam surmonté de saucisses. »

[34] Zaouali, Lilia (September 2009). Medieval Cuisine of the Islamic World: A Concise History with 174 Recipes. Univ of California Press. p. xiii. ISBN 978-0-520-26174-7. Retrieved May 19, 2022.

[35] Zaouali, Lilia (September 2009). Medieval Cuisine of the Islamic World: A Concise History with 174 Recipes. Univ of California Press. pp. 45–46. ISBN 978-0-520-26174-7.

[36] {[citation needed]}

[asbell-37] 35.0 ^35.1 ^35.2 Asbell, Robin (August 2007). The New Whole Grain Cookbook: Terrific Recipes Using Farro, Quinoa, Brown Rice, Barley, and Many Other Delicious and Nutritious Grains. Chronicle Books. ISBN 978-1-4521-0042-5.

[auto-38] Randall, Colin (March 31, 2006). "French abandon traditional cuisine in favour of couscous". The Daily Telegraph. Archived from the original on August 15, 2022. Retrieved May 19, 2022.

[39] "Les plats préférés des Français". Archived from the original on April 8, 2012. Retrieved May 19, 2022., enquête réalisée en août 2011 pour le magazine Vie Pratique Gourmand auprès d'un échantillon national de 999 personnes représentatif de l'ensemble de la population âgée de 18 ans et plus, interrogées en face à face. Méthode des quotas (sexe, âge, profession du chef de ménage PCS) et stratification par région et catégorie d’agglomération.

[40] "Magret is the No1 dish for French - Moules-frites and couscous trail duck dish as study looks at what's on people's plates". The Connexion - French News in English. November 30, 2016. Archived from the original on January 23, 2023. Retrieved May 19, 2022.

[41] "UNESCO - Knowledge, know-how and practices pertaining to the production and consumption of couscous". UNESCO. December 1, 2020. Archived from the original on January 16, 2021. Retrieved May 19, 2022.

[42] "Couscous joins UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage list". Deutsche Welle. December 17, 2020. Retrieved May 19, 2022.

[43] Nasr, Noor (March 12, 2011). "Egyptian Couscous". Fulbright Feasting. Archived from the original on September 8, 2024. Retrieved March 27, 2025.

[44] "Kusksu - A traditional Maltese soup made with broad beans, peas and giant couscous". A Maltese Mouthful. January 5, 2016. Archived from the original on July 19, 2021. Retrieved August 26, 2023.

[45] Benlafquih, Christine (September 25, 2020). "Moroccan Couscous with Seven Vegetables – Couscous Bidaoui". Taste of Maroc. Retrieved March 31, 2026.

[UNDP-46] United Nations Development Programme - Climate Change Adaption Facility (June 2017). "CCAF Cookbook". Adaptive Farms, Resilient Tables: Building secure food systems and celebrating distinct culinary traditions in a world of climate uncertainty. p. 66. Archived from the original on May 19, 2022. Retrieved May 19, 2022.

[CCRP-47] Collaborative Crop Research Program. "Nutrition for Agriculture: Food Processing 2009-2017" (PDF). The McKnight Foundation. Archived (PDF) from the original on October 24, 2020. Retrieved May 19, 2022.

[rec-48] "Couscous aux épinards - Dambou (Niger)". Recettes Vegetales. June 18, 2017. Archived from the original on June 28, 2022. Retrieved May 19, 2022.

[49] Hammami, Rifka; Sissons, Mike (2020). "Durum Wheat Products, Couscous". In Igrejas, Gilberto; Ikeda, Tatsuya M.; Guzmán, Carlos (eds.). Wheat Quality for Improving Processing and Human Health. Springer International Publishing. pp. 347–367. doi:10.1007/978-3-030-34163-3_15. ISBN 978-3-030-34163-3. S2CID 216234604. Retrieved May 19, 2022.

[Martin_Brink,_Getachew_Melese_Belay-50] Martin Brink, Getachew Melese Belay (2006). Céréales et légumes secs. PROTA. p. 60. ISBN 978-90-5782-172-1. Retrieved May 19, 2022.

[51] "Receitas". revistagloborural.globo.com. Archived from the original on January 29, 2008. Retrieved August 9, 2017.

[gazakitchen-52] 50.0 ^50.1 ^50.2 ^50.3 ^50.4 el-Haddad, Laila (2016). The Gaza Kitchen: A Palestinian Culinary Journey. Just World Books. pp. 245–250. ISBN 978-1682570081.

[WashPost-53] Hutcherson, Aaron (May 14, 2021). "A guide to couscous: The history, different types and how to cook with it". The Washington Post. Archived from the original on July 22, 2025. Retrieved May 19, 2022.

[54] "My mother-in-law's moghrabieh is what my family gathers around". SBS Food. April 26, 2022. Retrieved August 14, 2025.

[55] "Moghrabieh (pearl couscous)". SBS Food. May 19, 2017. Archived from the original on August 16, 2025. Retrieved August 14, 2025.

[tamimiwrigley2020-56] Tamimi, Sami; Wrigley, Tara (June 10, 2020). "The Ultimate Guide to Palestinian Food". Sous Chef. Archived from the original on September 13, 2025. Retrieved February 5, 2026.

[newarab2018-57] 55.0 ^55.1 "المفتول الفلسطيني... وجبة الشتاء وجمعة العائلة" [Palestinian couscous... a winter meal and a family gathering]. The New Arab (in Arabic). 2018. Retrieved February 5, 2026.

[mishan2020-58] Mishan, Ligaya (February 12, 2020). "The Rise of Palestinian Food". The New York Times. Archived from the original on August 3, 2020. Retrieved February 5, 2026.

[ottolenghi2013-59] 57.0 ^57.1 Ottolenghi, Yotam (April 26, 2013). "Yotam Ottolenghi's maftoul recipes". The Guardian. Retrieved May 19, 2022.

[tamimi2025-60] 58.0 ^58.1 Tamimi, Sami (July 15, 2025). Boustany: A Celebration of Vegetables from my Palestine [A Cookbook]. Random House. p. 208. ISBN 978-1-9848-6318-8. Retrieved February 5, 2026.

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[62] Kalla, Joudie (February 9, 2017). "Palestinian recipes for maftoul tabbouleh and za'atar chicken". The Guardian. Retrieved September 10, 2025.

[63] Grant, Elihu (1907). The Peasantry of Palestine: The Life, Manners and Customs of the Village; Illustrated with Original Photographs. Pilgrim Press. p. 75. Retrieved March 27, 2026.

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@@ Line 9: / Line 9: @@
 | image              = Moroccan cuscus, from Casablanca, September 2018.jpg
 | image_size         = 235px
-| caption            = Couscous served with vegetables and chickpeas
+| caption            = Couscous served with vegetables, chickpeas, partridge eggs and [[tfaya]] (a confection made of caramelized onions, raisins, and spices)
-| alternate_name     = Kesksou, Seksu, Ta'ām, Kosksi
+| alternate_name     = Kesksou, seksu, ta'ām, kosksi, aberbuc, uccu
 | place_of_origin    = [[Maghreb]]
 | creator            =
@@ Line 19: / Line 19: @@
 | serving_size       = {{cups|1/4|US}}, dry
 | calories           = 150
-| calories_ref       = <ref>{{cite web |title=Health Benefits of Couscous |website=WebMD |url=https://www.webmd.com/food-recipes/benefits-couscous}}</ref>
+| calories_ref       = <ref>{{cite web |title=Health Benefits of Couscous |website=WebMD |url=https://www.webmd.com/food-recipes/benefits-couscous |access-date=November 17, 2020 |archive-date=July 9, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240709013052/https://www.webmd.com/food-recipes/benefits-couscous/ |url-status=live }}</ref>
 | protein            = 5
 | fat                = 0
 | carbohydrate       = 30
 }}
-'''Couscous''' ({{Langx|ar|كُسْكُس|kuskus}}) is a traditional North African dish<ref>{{cite web|title=Couscous|url=https://www.britannica.com/topic/couscous|website=[[Encyclopedia Britannica]]|access-date=May 19, 2022}}</ref><ref name="chemache">{{cite journal|title=Couscous: Ethnic making and consumption patterns in the Northeast of Algeria|last1=Chemache|first1=Loucif|last2=Kehal|first2=Farida|last3=Namoune|first3=Hacène|last4=Chaalal|first4=Makhlouf|last5=Gagaoua|first5=Mohammed|date=September 2018|journal=Journal of Ethnic Foods|language=en|volume=5|issue=3|pages=211–219|doi=10.1016/j.jef.2018.08.002|s2cid=133982691|issn=2352-6181|doi-access=free}} a quote: “Couscous or seksu (Image 1) in Berber language or kuskus in Arabic is by origin a Numidian (the Berber population of Numidia) dish…”</ref> of small{{efn|Usually about {{cvt|2|mm|in|frac=16}} in diameter, though a finer (1&nbsp;mm) and larger varieties (3&nbsp;mm or more) also exist in North Africa.}} [[steaming|steamed]] granules of rolled [[semolina]]<ref name="notpasta">{{cite web |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2009/02/24/health/23recipehealth.html |title=Couscous: Just Don't Call It Pasta |last=Shulman |first=Martha Rose |website=The New York Times |date=23 February 2009|access-date=May 19, 2022}}</ref> that is often served with a [[stew]] spooned on top. [[Pearl millet]], [[sorghum]], [[bulgur]], and other cereals are sometimes cooked in a similar way in other regions, and the resulting dishes are also sometimes called couscous.<ref>{{cite journal|url=https://www.cerealsgrains.org/publications/plexus/cfw/pastissues/2010/Documents/CFW-55-1-0016.pdf|title=Pearl Millet—New Developments in an Ancient Food Grain |url-status=|last1=Taylor |first1=J.R.N. |last2=Barrion |first2=S.C. |last3=Rooney |first3=L.W. |journal=Cereal Foods World |publisher=Cereal and Grains Association|year=2010 |volume=55 |issue=1 |pages=16–19 |doi=10.1094/CFW-55-1-0016 |access-date=May 19, 2022}}{{dead link|date=September 2023}}</ref><ref name="milletCC">{{cite journal |url=https://www.aaccnet.org/publications/plexus/cfw/pastissues/2010/Documents/CFW-55-1-0016.pdf |title=Pearl Millet—New Developments in an Ancient Food Grain |url-status=dead|last1=Taylor |first1=J.R.N. |last2=Barrion |first2=S.C. |last3=Rooney |first3=L.W. |journal=Cereal Foods World |year=2010 |volume=55 |issue=1 |pages=16–19 |doi=10.1094/CFW-55-1-0016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190822040357/https://www.aaccnet.org/publications/plexus/cfw/pastissues/2010/Documents/CFW-55-1-0016.pdf |archive-date=22 August 2019|access-date=May 19, 2022}}</ref>{{rp|18}}<ref name="codex">{{cite web |title=The Codex Alimentarius (Codex Standard) (1995)  |url=https://www.fao.org/fao-who-codexalimentarius/sh-proxy/es/?lnk=1&url=https%253A%252F%252Fworkspace.fao.org%252Fsites%252Fcodex%252FStandards%252FCXS%2B202-1995%252FCXS_202e.pdf |publisher=Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations |access-date=May 19, 2022}}</ref>
+'''Couscous'''{{efn|Known in Arabic as {{lang|ar|كُسْكُس}} ''{{transliteration|ar|kuskus}}'', in [[Kabyle language|Taqbaylit]] as ⵙⵉⴽⵙⵓ ''seksu'', in [[Shawiya language|Tacawit]] as ⴰⴱⴻⵔⴱⵓⵛ ''aberbuc'',<ref>{{Cite book |last=Akli Haddadou |first=Mohand |title=Le Vocabulaire berbère commun suivi de Glossaire des racines berbères communes |publication-date=2012 |pages=540 |language=fr}}</ref> and in [[Mozabite language|Mozabite:]] ⵓⵛⵛⵓ as ''uccu''.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Nouh Mefnoune |first=Ahmed |title=Dictionnaire mozabite-français |last2=Abdessalam |first2=Brahim |year=2011}}</ref>}} ([[Tamazight]] : ⵙⴽⵙⵓ ''seksu'' or ⴽⵙⴽⵙⵓ ''keskesu''<ref>Salem Chaker, [http://ikarouane.free.fr/Couscous.pdf Couscous : sur l’étymologie du mot] .</ref>) , is a traditional North African dish<ref>{{cite web|title=Couscous|url=https://www.britannica.com/topic/couscous|website=[[Encyclopedia Britannica]]|access-date=May 19, 2022}}</ref><ref name="chemache">{{cite journal|title=Couscous: Ethnic making and consumption patterns in the Northeast of Algeria|last1=Chemache|first1=Loucif|last2=Kehal|first2=Farida|last3=Namoune|first3=Hacène|last4=Chaalal|first4=Makhlouf|last5=Gagaoua|first5=Mohammed|date=September 2018|journal=Journal of Ethnic Foods|language=en|volume=5|issue=3|pages=211–219|doi=10.1016/j.jef.2018.08.002|s2cid=133982691|issn=2352-6181|doi-access=free}} a quote: “Couscous or seksu (Image 1) in Berber language or kuskus in Arabic is by origin a Numidian (the Berber population of Numidia) dish…”</ref> of small{{efn|Usually about {{cvt|2|mm|in|frac=16}} in diameter, though a finer (1&nbsp;mm) and larger varieties (3&nbsp;mm or more) also exist in North Africa.}} [[steaming|steamed]] granules of rolled [[semolina]]<ref name="notpasta">{{cite web |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2009/02/24/health/23recipehealth.html |title=Couscous: Just Don't Call It Pasta |last=Shulman |first=Martha Rose |website=The New York Times |date=23 February 2009 |access-date=May 19, 2022 |archive-date=February 25, 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090225213121/https://www.nytimes.com/2009/02/24/health/23recipehealth.html |url-status=live }}</ref> that is often served with a [[stew]] spooned on top. [[Pearl millet]], [[sorghum]], [[bulgur]], and other cereals are sometimes cooked in a similar way in other regions, and the resulting dishes are also sometimes called couscous.<ref>{{cite journal|url=https://www.cerealsgrains.org/publications/plexus/cfw/pastissues/2010/Documents/CFW-55-1-0016.pdf|title=Pearl Millet—New Developments in an Ancient Food Grain |url-status=|last1=Taylor |first1=J.R.N. |last2=Barrion |first2=S.C. |last3=Rooney |first3=L.W. |journal=Cereal Foods World |publisher=Cereal and Grains Association|year=2010 |volume=55 |issue=1 |pages=16–19 |doi=10.1094/CFW-55-1-0016 |access-date=May 19, 2022}}{{dead link|date=September 2023}}</ref><ref name="milletCC">{{cite journal |url=https://www.aaccnet.org/publications/plexus/cfw/pastissues/2010/Documents/CFW-55-1-0016.pdf |title=Pearl Millet—New Developments in an Ancient Food Grain |url-status=dead|last1=Taylor |first1=J.R.N. |last2=Barrion |first2=S.C. |last3=Rooney |first3=L.W. |journal=Cereal Foods World |year=2010 |volume=55 |issue=1 |pages=16–19 |doi=10.1094/CFW-55-1-0016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190822040357/https://www.aaccnet.org/publications/plexus/cfw/pastissues/2010/Documents/CFW-55-1-0016.pdf |archive-date=22 August 2019|access-date=May 19, 2022}}</ref>{{rp|18}}<ref name="codex">{{cite web |title=The Codex Alimentarius (Codex Standard) (1995) |url=https://www.fao.org/fao-who-codexalimentarius/sh-proxy/es/?lnk=1&url=https%253A%252F%252Fworkspace.fao.org%252Fsites%252Fcodex%252FStandards%252FCXS%2B202-1995%252FCXS_202e.pdf |publisher=Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations |access-date=May 19, 2022 |archive-date=May 19, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220519232440/https://www.fao.org/fao-who-codexalimentarius/sh-proxy/es/?lnk=1&url=https%253A%252F%252Fworkspace.fao.org%252Fsites%252Fcodex%252FStandards%252FCXS%2B202-1995%252FCXS_202e.pdf |url-status=live }}</ref>
-Couscous is a [[staple food]] throughout the [[Maghrebi cuisine]]s of [[Algeria]], [[Tunisia]], [[Mauritania]], [[Morocco]], and [[Libya]].<ref name="Naylor2015">{{cite book |last=Naylor |first=Phillip C. |title=Historical Dictionary of Algeria|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=ftFbCQAAQBAJ&pg=PA195 |date=May 2015 |publisher=Rowman & Littlefield |isbn=978-0-8108-7919-5 |page=195}}</ref><ref name="soletti">{{cite book |last1=Soletti |first1=Francesco |last2=Selmi |first2=Luca |title=Turismo gastronomico in Italia, Volume 1 |publisher=Touring Club Italiano |date=2006 |isbn=978-88-365-3500-2}}</ref>{{rp|250}} It was integrated into French and European cuisine at the beginning of the twentieth century,<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Sainéan |first=L. |date=1921 |title=L'Histoire Naturelle dans L'Oeuvre de Rabelais (8 e et dernier article) |url=https://www.jstor.org/stable/41851648 |journal=Revue du Seizième siècle |volume=8 |issue=1/2 |pages=1–41 |jstor=41851648 |issn=0151-1823}}</ref> through the [[French colonial empire]] and the [[Pied-Noir|Pieds-Noirs]] of [[Algeria]].<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Wagda |first=Marin |date=1997 |title=L'histoire d'une migration culinaire |url=https://www.persee.fr/doc/homig_1142-852x_1997_num_1207_1_2982 |journal=Hommes & Migrations |volume=1207 |issue=1 |pages=163–166 |doi=10.3406/homig.1997.2982}}</ref><ref>{{Cite journal |last=Tabois |first=Stéphanie |date=2005 |title=Cuisiner le passé. Souvenirs et pratiques culinaires des exilés pieds-noirs |url=https://www.persee.fr/doc/diasp_1637-5823_2005_num_7_1_1016 |journal=Diasporas. Histoire et sociétés |volume=7 |issue=1 |pages=81–91}}</ref><ref>{{Cite journal |last=Albert-Llorca |first=Marlène |date=2004 |title=La mémoire des Pieds-noirs : une transmission impossible ? |url= |journal=Horizons Maghrébins - le droit à la mémoire |volume=51 |issue=1 |pages=169–176 |doi=10.3406/horma.2004.2250}}</ref>
+Couscous is a [[staple food]] throughout the [[Maghrebi cuisine]]s of [[Algeria]], [[Tunisia]], [[Mauritania]], [[Morocco]], and [[Libya]].<ref name="Naylor2015">{{cite book |last=Naylor |first=Phillip C. |title=Historical Dictionary of Algeria|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=ftFbCQAAQBAJ&pg=PA195 |date=May 2015 |publisher=Rowman & Littlefield |isbn=978-0-8108-7919-5 |page=195}}</ref><ref name="soletti">{{cite book |last1=Soletti |first1=Francesco |last2=Selmi |first2=Luca |title=Turismo gastronomico in Italia, Volume 1 |publisher=Touring Club Italiano |date=2006 |isbn=978-88-365-3500-2}}</ref>{{rp|250}} It was integrated into French and European cuisine at the beginning of the twentieth century,<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Sainéan |first=L. |date=1921 |title=L'Histoire Naturelle dans L'Oeuvre de Rabelais (8 e et dernier article) |url=https://www.jstor.org/stable/41851648 |journal=Revue du Seizième siècle |volume=8 |issue=1/2 |pages=1–41 |jstor=41851648 |issn=0151-1823}}</ref> through the [[French colonial empire]] and the [[Pied-Noir|Pieds-Noirs]] of [[Algeria]].<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Wagda |first=Marin |date=1997 |title=L'histoire d'une migration culinaire |url=https://www.persee.fr/doc/homig_1142-852x_1997_num_1207_1_2982 |journal=Hommes & Migrations |volume=1207 |issue=1 |pages=163–166 |doi=10.3406/homig.1997.2982 |archive-date=June 7, 2022 |access-date=June 7, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220607203554/https://www.persee.fr/doc/homig_1142-852x_1997_num_1207_1_2982 |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{Cite journal |last=Tabois |first=Stéphanie |date=2005 |title=Cuisiner le passé. Souvenirs et pratiques culinaires des exilés pieds-noirs |url=https://www.persee.fr/doc/diasp_1637-5823_2005_num_7_1_1016 |journal=Diasporas. Histoire et sociétés |volume=7 |issue=1 |pages=81–91 |archive-date=June 7, 2022 |access-date=June 7, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220607203552/https://www.persee.fr/doc/diasp_1637-5823_2005_num_7_1_1016 |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{Cite journal |last=Albert-Llorca |first=Marlène |date=2004 |title=La mémoire des Pieds-noirs : une transmission impossible ? |url= |journal=Horizons Maghrébins - le droit à la mémoire |volume=51 |issue=1 |pages=169–176 |doi=10.3406/horma.2004.2250}}</ref>
-In 2020, couscous was added to [[UNESCO]]'s [[UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage Lists|Intangible Cultural Heritage list]].<ref>{{cite web |title=UNESCO adds couscous to list of intangible world heritage |url=https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2020/12/16/unesco-adds-couscous-to-list-of-intangible-world-heritage |website=Al Jazeera English |date=December 16, 2020 |language=en|access-date=May 19, 2022 }}</ref>
+In 2020, couscous was added to [[UNESCO]]'s [[UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage Lists|Intangible Cultural Heritage list]].<ref>{{cite web |title=UNESCO adds couscous to list of intangible world heritage |url=https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2020/12/16/unesco-adds-couscous-to-list-of-intangible-world-heritage |website=Al Jazeera English |date=December 16, 2020 |language=en |access-date=May 19, 2022 |archive-date=August 8, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210808144248/https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2020/12/16/unesco-adds-couscous-to-list-of-intangible-world-heritage |url-status=live }}</ref>
 == 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 [[Berber languages|Berber]] origin.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web|url=https://www.centrederechercheberbere.fr/tl_files/doc-pdf/couscous.pdf |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110816224311/http://www.centrederechercheberbere.fr/tl_files/doc-pdf/couscous.pdf |archive-date=2011-08-16 |url-status=live|title=Couscous : sur l'étymologie du mot|last=Chaker|first=Salem|website=[[INALCO]] - [[Centre de Recherche Berbère]]}}</ref><ref name=":2">{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=IGQovjGKj4IC|title=Couscous, boulgour et polenta. Transformer et consommer les céréales dans le monde|last1=Chastanet|first1=Monique|last2=Franconie|first2=Hélène|last3=Sigaut|first3=François|publisher=Karthala Editions|date=March 2010|isbn=978-2-8111-3206-4|language=fr|access-date=May 19, 2022}}</ref><ref name=":3">{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=I15eJt6U3gMC|chapter=Couscous and Its Cousins|title=Oxford Symposium on Food & Cookery, 1989: Staplefoods : Proceedings|last=Perry|first=Charles|date=1990|publisher=Oxford Symposium|isbn=978-0-907325-44-4|editor-last=Walker|editor-first=Harlan|pages=176–178|language=en|author-link=Charles Perry (food writer)|access-date=May 19, 2022}}</ref> The term ''seksu'' is attested in various Berber dialects such as [[Kabyle people|Kabyle]] and [[Rifians|Rifain]], while Saharan Berber dialects such as [[Tuareg people|Touareg]] and [[Ghadamès language|Ghadames]] 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 [[Salem Chaker]] suggests.<ref name=":0" />
+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 [[Berber languages|Berber]] origin.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web|url=https://www.centrederechercheberbere.fr/tl_files/doc-pdf/couscous.pdf |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110816224311/http://www.centrederechercheberbere.fr/tl_files/doc-pdf/couscous.pdf |archive-date=2011-08-16 |url-status=live|title=Couscous : sur l'étymologie du mot|last=Chaker|first=Salem|website=[[INALCO]] - [[Centre de Recherche Berbère]]}}</ref><ref name=":2">{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=IGQovjGKj4IC|title=Couscous, boulgour et polenta. Transformer et consommer les céréales dans le monde|last1=Chastanet|first1=Monique|last2=Franconie|first2=Hélène|last3=Sigaut|first3=François|publisher=Karthala Editions|date=March 2010|isbn=978-2-8111-3206-4|language=fr|access-date=May 19, 2022}}</ref><ref name=":3">{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=I15eJt6U3gMC|chapter=Couscous and Its Cousins|title=Oxford Symposium on Food & Cookery, 1989: Staplefoods : Proceedings|last=Perry|first=Charles|date=1990|publisher=Oxford Symposium|isbn=978-0-907325-44-4|editor-last=Walker|editor-first=Harlan|pages=176–178|language=en|author-link=Charles Perry (food writer)|access-date=May 19, 2022}}</ref> The term ''seksu'' is attested in various Berber varieties such as [[Kabyle language|Kabyle]] and [[Tarifit|Riffian]], while Saharan Berber varieties such as [[Tuareg people|Touareg]] and [[Ghadamès language|Ghadames]] 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 [[Salem Chaker]] suggests.<ref name=":0" />
 The Berber root *KS means "well formed, well rolled, rounded."<ref name=":0" /><ref name=":2" /> Numerous names and pronunciations for couscous exist around the world.<ref name="foucauld">{{cite book |last1=Foucauld |first1=Charles de |title=Dictionnaire touareg-français : dialecte de l'Ahaggar |date=1950–1952 |publisher=Impr. nationale de France |location=Paris |url=https://archive.org/details/DictionnaireTouareg-francaisDialecteDeLAhaggar |language=fr|access-date=May 19, 2022}}</ref>{{rp|919}}
+According to María Teresa Santamaría Hernández, the Arabic name kuskūs, first recorded in the 13th century in Al-Andalus, can be better explained from Latin adjective *coscosus. The Latin noun coscus had an ancient Mediterranean origin, and referred to small rounded or curved objects, and hence to small animals such as worms, ants, termites and woodworms. This word coscus and its variant cossus appear in Latin veterinary treatises and in glossaries, and might have been very common in North Africa, and perhaps also in southern Spain. Therefore, *coscosus meant ‘full of worms’, also in a metaphorical sense referring to this dish of granules or rolled semolina. In medieval Spanish, the word cozcucho, from Andalusi Arabic, is recorded in the 13th century, and alcuzcuzu, alcuzcuçu, cuzcuz and other variants referred since the first half of the 15th century to this dish considered typical of Moors and Moriscos. This same dish was also called formigos, hormigos and hormiguillos (‘resembling ants’) from the 15th century onwards in a metaphorical sense, since the original meaning of cuzcuz had not been lost.<ref name="Santamaría">{{cite book |last1=Santamaría |first1=María Teresa |title="En los hormigos estaba la clave: etimología latina de (al)cuzcuz" |date=2025 |volume=25 |issue=1 |pages=121–152 |publisher=Revista de Estudios Latinos, 25: 121-152 |doi=10.23808/rel.v25i1.117562 |url=https://recyt.fecyt.es/index.php/rel/article/view/117562 |language=Spanish |access-date=December 20, 2025 |archive-date=December 19, 2025 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20251219135007/https://recyt.fecyt.es/index.php/rel/article/view/117562 |url-status=live }}</ref>
 == History ==
-[[File:Algerian couscous from Kabylia.jpg|thumb|[[Algeria]]n couscous from [[Kabylia]].|left]]
+[[File:Algerian couscous from Kabylia.jpg|thumb|[[Algeria]]n couscous from [[Kabylia]]|left]]
-It is unclear when couscous originated. Food historian Lucie Bolens believes couscous originated millennia ago, during the reign of [[Masinissa]] in the ancient kingdom of [[Numidia]]<ref name="chemache"/><ref name="hammami">{{cite journal |last1=Hammami |first1=Rifka |last2=Barbar |first2=Reine |last3=Laurent |first3=Marie |last4=Cuq |first4=Bernard |title=Durum Wheat Couscous Grains: An Ethnic Mediterranean Food at the Interface of Traditional Domestic Preparation and Industrial Manufacturing |journal=Foods |date=22 March 2022 |volume=11 |issue=7 |pages=902 |doi=10.3390/foods11070902 |doi-access=free|url=https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC8998045/ |access-date=25 May 2025}} Quote: “Part of the origin of couscous is related to Numidians, the Berber population of Numidia. The culinary historian Lucie Bolens describes primitive pots that closely resemble the main cooking utensil of couscous, which is the couscoussier, found in Kabylia in tombs coming from the period of Berber king Massinissa”</ref> in present-day [[Algeria]].<ref name=Bolens>{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=k6QEOwAACAAJ|title=La cuisine andalouse, un art de vivre: XIe-XIIIe siècle|last=Bolens|first=Lucie|date=1990|publisher=Albin Michel|isbn=9782226041005|access-date=May 19, 2022}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|title=Can North Africa unite over couscous?|date=February 2, 2018|newspaper=AFP}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|title=The unexpected allure of couscous: the history and tradition behind the North African staple|date=December 20, 2020|newspaper=The National News}}</ref><ref name=":1">{{Cite encyclopedia|url=https://www.encyclopedia.com/sports-and-everyday-life/food-and-drink/food-and-cooking/couscous|last=de Castro|first=Teresa|editor1-last=Katz|editor1-first=Solomon H.|year=2003|title=COUSCOUS|encyclopedia=Encyclopedia of Food and Culture|publisher=[[Charles Scribner's Sons]]|volume=3|page=466|isbn=0-684-80565-0|editor2-last=Weaver|editor2-first=William}}</ref> Traces of cooking vessels akin to [[couscoussier]]s have been found in graves from the 3rd century BC, from the time of the berber kings of [[Numidia]], in the city of [[Tiaret]], [[Algeria]].<ref>{{cite news |title=Can North Africa unite over couscous? |url=https://www.france24.com/en/20180213-can-north-africa-unite-over-couscous |work=France 24|language=en |date=February 13, 2018 |access-date=May 19, 2022 }}</ref> [[Couscoussier]]s dating back to the 12th century were found in the ruins of [[Igiliz]], located in the [[Sous]] valley of [[Morocco]].<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Fili |first1=Abdallah |last2=Ettahiri |first2=Ahmed Saleh |last3=Van Staëvel |first3=Jean-Pierre |last4=Serrat |first4=Ihssane |year=2020 |title=Première approche typologique de la céramique protoalmohade d'Igiliz (Maroc) |trans-title=First typological approach to the proto-Almohad pottery of Igiliz (Morocco) |url=https://revues.imist.ma/index.php/BAM/article/view/29693/15408 |journal=Bulletin d'Archéologie Marocaine |volume=25 |issue=25 |pages=101–123 |doi=10.34874/IMIST.PRSM/bam-v25.29693 |issn=0068-4015 |eissn=2820-6908}}</ref>
+It is unclear when couscous originated. Food historian Lucie Bolens believes couscous originated millennia ago, during the reign of [[Masinissa]] in the ancient kingdom of [[Numidia]]<ref name="chemache"/><ref name="hammami">{{cite journal |last1=Hammami |first1=Rifka |last2=Barbar |first2=Reine |last3=Laurent |first3=Marie |last4=Cuq |first4=Bernard |title=Durum Wheat Couscous Grains: An Ethnic Mediterranean Food at the Interface of Traditional Domestic Preparation and Industrial Manufacturing |journal=Foods |date=22 March 2022 |volume=11 |issue=7 |pages=902 |doi=10.3390/foods11070902 |pmid=35406989 |pmc=8998045 |doi-access=free}} Quote: “Part of the origin of couscous is related to Numidians, the Berber population of Numidia. The culinary historian Lucie Bolens describes primitive pots that closely resemble the main cooking utensil of couscous, which is the couscoussier, found in Kabylia in tombs coming from the period of Berber king Massinissa”</ref> in present-day [[Algeria]].<ref name=Bolens>{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=k6QEOwAACAAJ|title=La cuisine andalouse, un art de vivre: XIe-XIIIe siècle|last=Bolens|first=Lucie|date=1990|publisher=Albin Michel|isbn=9782226041005|access-date=May 19, 2022|archive-date=November 9, 2024|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20241109015714/https://books.google.com/books?id=k6QEOwAACAAJ|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|title=Can North Africa unite over couscous?|date=February 2, 2018|newspaper=AFP}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|title=The unexpected allure of couscous: the history and tradition behind the North African staple|date=December 20, 2020|newspaper=The National News}}</ref><ref name=":1">{{Cite encyclopedia|url=https://www.encyclopedia.com/sports-and-everyday-life/food-and-drink/food-and-cooking/couscous|last=de Castro|first=Teresa|editor1-last=Katz|editor1-first=Solomon H.|year=2003|title=COUSCOUS|encyclopedia=Encyclopedia of Food and Culture|publisher=[[Charles Scribner's Sons]]|volume=3|page=466|isbn=0-684-80565-0|editor2-last=Weaver|editor2-first=William|access-date=December 14, 2018|archive-date=February 2, 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220202102003/https://www.encyclopedia.com/sports-and-everyday-life/food-and-drink/food-and-cooking/couscous|url-status=live}}</ref> Traces of cooking vessels akin to [[couscoussier]]s have been found in graves from the 3rd century BC, from the time of the Berber kings of Numidia, in [[Kabylia]], Algeria.<ref>Chemache, Loucif, Farida Kehal, Hacène Namoune, Makhlouf Chaalal, and Mohammed Gagaoua. "Couscous: Ethnic making and consumption patterns in the Northeast of Algeria." Journal of Ethnic Foods 5, no. 3 (2018): [https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2352618118300714 211-219] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211218000155/https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2352618118300714 |date=December 18, 2021 }}.</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=Can North Africa unite over couscous? |url=https://www.france24.com/en/20180213-can-north-africa-unite-over-couscous |work=France 24 |language=en |date=February 13, 2018 |access-date=May 19, 2022 |archive-date=January 10, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220110230612/https://www.france24.com/en/20180213-can-north-africa-unite-over-couscous |url-status=live }}</ref> Cooking utensils that closely resemble couscoussiers dating back to the 9th century were found in [[Tiaret]], Algeria.<ref>{{cite book | last = Sidi Boumediene | first = Rachid | title = L'arbre des couscous: Unité et diversité d'un patrimoine | publisher = Chihab | year = 2024 | url = https://books.google.com/books?id=T9IEEQAAQBAJ&pg=PT8 }}</ref> Couscoussiers dating back to the 12th century were found in the ruins of [[Igiliz]], located in the [[Sous]] valley of [[Morocco]].<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Fili |first1=Abdallah |last2=Ettahiri |first2=Ahmed Saleh |last3=Van Staëvel |first3=Jean-Pierre |last4=Serrat |first4=Ihssane |year=2020 |title=Première approche typologique de la céramique protoalmohade d'Igiliz (Maroc) |trans-title=First typological approach to the proto-Almohad pottery of Igiliz (Morocco) |url=https://revues.imist.ma/index.php/BAM/article/view/29693/15408 |journal=Bulletin d'Archéologie Marocaine |volume=25 |issue=25 |pages=101–123 |doi=10.34874/IMIST.PRSM/bam-v25.29693 |issn=0068-4015 |eissn=2820-6908 |archive-date=November 13, 2022 |access-date=November 13, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221113011629/https://revues.imist.ma/index.php/BAM/article/view/29693/15408 |url-status=live }}</ref>
-According to food writer [[Charles Perry (food writer)|Charles Perry]], couscous originated among the [[Berbers]] of Algeria and Morocco between the end of the 11th-century [[Zirid dynasty]], modern-day [[Algeria]], and the rise of the 13th-century [[Almohad Caliphate]].<ref name=":3" /> The historian Hady Idris noted that couscous is attested to during the [[Hafsid dynasty]], but not the Zirid dynasty.<ref name=":3" />
+According to food writer [[Charles Perry (food writer)|Charles Perry]], couscous originated among the [[Berbers]] of Algeria and Morocco between the end of the 11th-century [[Zirid dynasty]], modern-day Algeria, and the rise of the 13th-century [[Almohad Caliphate]].<ref name=":3" /> The historian Hady Idris noted that couscous is attested to during the [[Hafsid dynasty]], but not the Zirid dynasty.<ref name=":3" /> Historian Marianne Brisville stated that couscous could be recognised in the 11th century under the word ''taam'', the oldest mention is in [[Ouargla]], Algeria.<ref>{{cite web | last = Brisville | first = Marianne | title = Et le Moyen Âge inventa le couscous | website = L’Histoire | publisher = L’Histoire (Revue) | date = May 2020 | url = https://www.lhistoire.fr/et-le-moyen-age-inventa-le-couscous | quote = Le terme arabe kuskusu, qui désigne aussi bien la semoule que le plat, apparaît dans les livres de cuisine de l'Occident islamique médiéval à partir du XIIe-XIIIe siècle. On peut le reconnaître dès le XIe siècle sous le vocable de taam (nourriture, céréales) dans des récits de saints. La plus ancienne mention évoque un repas offert par les habitants d'Ouargla (dans le nord-est de l'Algérie) à un mystique : « Ils préparèrent un taam surmonté de saucisses. » | access-date = January 28, 2026 | archive-date = November 19, 2025 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20251119081158/https://www.lhistoire.fr/et-le-moyen-age-inventa-le-couscous | url-status = live }}</ref>
 In the 12th century, [[Berber cuisine|Maghrebi]] 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.<ref>{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=H7MwDwAAQBAJ|title=Medieval Cuisine of the Islamic World: A Concise History with 174 Recipes|last=Zaouali|first=Lilia|publisher=Univ of California Press|date=September 2009|isbn=978-0-520-26174-7|page=xiii|language=en|access-date=May 19, 2022}}</ref>
@@ Line 47: / Line 49: @@
 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 [[Trapani]], [[Sicily]], the dish is still made to the medieval recipe of [[Andalusia]]n author Ibn Razin al-Tujibi. Ligurian families that moved from [[Tabarka]] to [[Sardinia]] brought the dish with them to [[Carloforte]] in the 18th century.<ref>{{Cite book|title=Medieval Cuisine of the Islamic World: A Concise History with 174 Recipes|last=Zaouali|first=Lilia|publisher=Univ of California Press|date=September 2009|isbn=978-0-520-26174-7|pages=45–46|language=en}}</ref>
-Known in France since the 16th century, it was brought into French cuisine at the beginning of the 20th century via the [[French colonial empire]] and the Pieds-Noirs.
+Known in France since the 16th century, it was brought into French cuisine at the beginning of the 20th century via the [[French colonial empire]] and the Pieds-Noirs.<ref>{{Citation needed|date=May 2026|reason=among other things the two sentences seem to contradict each other}}</ref>
 == Preparation ==
-[[File:Tunisian brown couscous with vegetables.JPG|thumb|Brown couscous with vegetables in Tunisia.]]
+[[File:Femme semoule couscous.jpg|thumb|Woman preparing couscous from semolina]]
-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.<ref name="asbell">{{Cite book |title=The New Whole Grain Cookbook: Terrific Recipes Using Farro, Quinoa, Brown Rice, Barley, and Many Other Delicious and Nutritious Grains |last=Asbell |first=Robin |date=August 2007|publisher=Chronicle Books |isbn=978-1-4521-0042-5}}</ref>
+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.<ref name="asbell">{{Cite book |title=The New Whole Grain Cookbook: Terrific Recipes Using Farro, Quinoa, Brown Rice, Barley, and Many Other Delicious and Nutritious Grains |last=Asbell |first=Robin |date=August 2007|publisher=Chronicle Books |isbn=978-1-4521-0042-5}}</ref>
 In some regions, couscous is made from [[Farina (food)|farina]] or coarsely ground [[barley]] or [[pearl millet]].
-[[File:Couscoussier.jpg|thumb|A ''kiskas'' (French: ''[[couscoussier]]''), a traditional steamer for couscous.]]
+[[File:Couscoussier.jpg|thumb|A ''kiskas'' (French: ''[[couscoussier]]''), 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.<ref name="asbell" /> Properly cooked couscous is light and fluffy, not gummy or gritty.
 Traditionally, North Africans use a [[food steamer]] (called a ''taseksut'' in the [[Berber language]], a {{lang|ar|كِسْكَاس}} ''kiskas'' in  Arabic or a ''[[couscoussier]]'' in French). 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 [[cheesecloth]].
-The couscous that is sold in most [[Western culture|Western]] [[grocery store]]s 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 [[Maghreb]] immigrants<ref name="auto">{{cite web |last1=Randall |first1=Colin |date=31 March 2006 |title=French abandon traditional cuisine in favour of couscous |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/europe/france/1514459/French-abandon-traditional-cuisine-in-favour-of-couscous.html |access-date=May 19, 2022 |work=[[The Daily Telegraph]]}}</ref> and voted the third most popular dish in a 2011 survey.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.tns-sofres.com/points-de-vue/79A4BE8A098F4BBFA11B939A135302CA.aspx|title=Les plats préférés des Français|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120408173836/http://www.tns-sofres.com/points-de-vue/79A4BE8A098F4BBFA11B939A135302CA.aspx|archive-date=April 8, 2012|access-date=May 19, 2022}}, enquête réalisée en août 2011 pour le magazine Vie Pratique Gourmand auprès d'un échantillon national de {{formatnum:999}} personnes représentatif de l'ensemble de la population âgée de 18 ans et plus, interrogées en face à face. Méthode des quotas (sexe, âge, profession du chef de ménage PCS) et stratification par région et catégorie d’agglomération.</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.connexionfrance.com/article/Archive/Magret-is-the-No1-dish-for-French|title=Magret is the No1 dish for French - Moules-frites and couscous trail duck dish as study looks at what's on people's plates|website=The Connexion - French News in English|date=November 30, 2016|access-date=May 19, 2022}}</ref>
+The couscous that is sold in most [[Western culture|Western]] [[grocery store]]s 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 [[Maghreb]] immigrants<ref name="auto">{{cite web |last1=Randall |first1=Colin |date=31 March 2006 |title=French abandon traditional cuisine in favour of couscous |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/europe/france/1514459/French-abandon-traditional-cuisine-in-favour-of-couscous.html |access-date=May 19, 2022 |work=[[The Daily Telegraph]] |archive-date=August 15, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220815113537/https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/europe/france/1514459/French-abandon-traditional-cuisine-in-favour-of-couscous.html |url-status=live }}</ref> and voted the third most popular dish in a 2011 survey.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.tns-sofres.com/points-de-vue/79A4BE8A098F4BBFA11B939A135302CA.aspx|title=Les plats préférés des Français|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120408173836/http://www.tns-sofres.com/points-de-vue/79A4BE8A098F4BBFA11B939A135302CA.aspx|archive-date=April 8, 2012|access-date=May 19, 2022}}, enquête réalisée en août 2011 pour le magazine Vie Pratique Gourmand auprès d'un échantillon national de {{formatnum:999}} personnes représentatif de l'ensemble de la population âgée de 18 ans et plus, interrogées en face à face. Méthode des quotas (sexe, âge, profession du chef de ménage PCS) et stratification par région et catégorie d’agglomération.</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.connexionfrance.com/article/Archive/Magret-is-the-No1-dish-for-French|title=Magret is the No1 dish for French - Moules-frites and couscous trail duck dish as study looks at what's on people's plates|website=The Connexion - French News in English|date=November 30, 2016|access-date=May 19, 2022|archive-date=January 23, 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230123133453/http://www.connexionfrance.com/article/Archive/Magret-is-the-No1-dish-for-French|url-status=live}}</ref>
 == 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 [[UNESCO]]. The joint submission by the four countries was hailed as an "example of international cooperation."<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://ich.unesco.org/en/RL/knowledge-know-how-and-practices-pertaining-to-the-production-and-consumption-of-couscous-01602|title=UNESCO - Knowledge, know-how and practices pertaining to the production and consumption of couscous|publisher= UNESCO|language=en|date=December 1, 2020|access-date=May 19, 2022}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.dw.com/en/couscous-joins-unesco-intangible-cultural-heritage-list/a-55967754|title=Couscous joins UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage list|website=[[Deutsche Welle]]|language=en-GB|date= December 17, 2020|access-date=May 19, 2022}}</ref>
+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 [[UNESCO]]. The joint submission by the four countries was hailed as an "example of international cooperation."<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://ich.unesco.org/en/RL/knowledge-know-how-and-practices-pertaining-to-the-production-and-consumption-of-couscous-01602|title=UNESCO - Knowledge, know-how and practices pertaining to the production and consumption of couscous|publisher=UNESCO|language=en|date=December 1, 2020|access-date=May 19, 2022|archive-date=January 16, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210116185735/https://ich.unesco.org/en/RL/knowledge-know-how-and-practices-pertaining-to-the-production-and-consumption-of-couscous-01602|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.dw.com/en/couscous-joins-unesco-intangible-cultural-heritage-list/a-55967754|title=Couscous joins UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage list|website=[[Deutsche Welle]]|language=en-GB|date= December 17, 2020|access-date=May 19, 2022}}</ref>
 == Local variations ==
-[[File:Couscous Tfaya 3.jpg|thumb|Moroccan couscous with ''[[tfaya]]'' and roasted chicken.]]
+[[File:Algerian Couscous from Biskra.jpg|thumb|Algerian couscous from Biskra]]
-Couscous proper is about 2&nbsp;mm in diameter, but there also exists a larger variety (3&nbsp;mm more) known as ''berkoukes'', as well as an ultra-fine version (around 1&nbsp;mm).<ref name=":3"/> In Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia, and Libya, it is generally served with vegetables ([[carrot]]s, [[potato]]es, and [[turnip]]s) cooked in a spicy or mild [[broth]] or stew, usually with some meat (generally, [[Chicken (food)|chicken]], [[lamb and mutton|lamb, or mutton]]).[[File:MoroccanCouscous.jpg|thumb|Couscous with vegetables, meat, and ''[[tfaya]]''.]]
+[[File:CouscousDromadaire_(2).JPG|thumb|Mauritanian couscous with camel]]
+[[File:Couscous Tfaya 3.jpg|thumb|Moroccan couscous with ''[[tfaya]]'' and roasted chicken]]
+[[File:MoroccanCouscous.jpg|thumb|Moroccan Couscous with vegetables, meat, and ''[[tfaya]]'']]
+[[File:Fish couscous from Kerkenah, Tunisia, August 16th, 2007.jpg|thumb|Fish couscous from Tunisia]]
+Couscous proper is about 2&nbsp;mm in diameter, but there also exists a larger variety (3&nbsp;mm more) known as ''berkoukes'', as well as an ultra-fine version (around 1&nbsp;mm).<ref name=":3"/> In Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia, and Libya, it is generally served with vegetables ([[carrot]]s, [[potato]]es, and [[turnip]]s) cooked in a spicy or mild [[broth]] or stew, usually with some meat (generally, [[Chicken (food)|chicken]], [[lamb and mutton|lamb, or mutton]]).
 === Algeria ===
-[[File:Algerian Couscous from Biskra.jpg|thumb|Algerian couscous from Biskra.]]
+[[Algerian couscous]] is a traditional staple food in Algeria, and it plays an important role in [[Algerian cuisine]]. It is commonly served with vegetables, meat, or fish. In Algeria, there are various types of couscous dishes.<ref name=":3" />
-[[Algerian couscous]] 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.<ref name=":3" />
 === Egypt ===
-In Egypt, couscous ({{langx|arz|كسكسي}}, ''{{Transliteration|arz|koskosi}}'') is traditionally prepared and consumed as a sweet dish, differing notably from the savory couscous dishes commonly associated with other North African cuisines. It is typically served for breakfast, as a light evening meal, or as a dessert. The preparation involves steaming or soaking the couscous with melted butter and hot water, after which it is topped with a variety of sweet ingredients. Common toppings include sugar (white, brown, or powdered), cinnamon, grated coconut, raisins, and assorted nuts such as almonds, walnuts, or hazelnuts. In some variations, sweetened condensed milk may also be used.<ref>{{cite web |last=Nasr |first=Noor |title=Egyptian Couscous |url=https://fulbrightfeasting.wordpress.com/2011/03/12/egyptian-couscous/ |website=Fulbright Feasting |date=March 12, 2011 |access-date=March 27, 2025}}</ref>
+{{See also|Egyptian cuisine}}
+In Egypt, couscous ({{langx|arz|كسكسي}}, ''{{Transliteration|arz|koskosi}}'') is traditionally prepared and consumed as a sweet dish, differing notably from the savory couscous dishes commonly associated with other North African cuisines. It is typically served for breakfast, as a light evening meal, or as a dessert. The preparation involves steaming or soaking the couscous with melted butter and hot water, after which it is topped with a variety of sweet ingredients. Common toppings include sugar (white, brown, or powdered), cinnamon, grated coconut, raisins, and assorted nuts such as almonds, walnuts, or hazelnuts. In some variations, sweetened condensed milk may also be used.<ref>{{cite web |last=Nasr |first=Noor |title=Egyptian Couscous |url=https://fulbrightfeasting.wordpress.com/2011/03/12/egyptian-couscous/ |website=Fulbright Feasting |date=March 12, 2011 |access-date=March 27, 2025 |archive-date=September 8, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240908023537/https://fulbrightfeasting.wordpress.com/2011/03/12/egyptian-couscous/ |url-status=live }}</ref>
-=== Tunisia ===
-[[File:Fish couscous from Kerkenah, Tunisia, August 16th, 2007.jpg|thumb|Fish couscous from Tunisia.]]
-In Tunisia, couscous is usually spicy, made with [[harissa]] sauce, and served commonly with vegetables and meat, including lamb, fish, seafood, beef, and sometimes (in southern regions) camel. [[Fish as food|Fish]] couscous is a Tunisian specialty and can also be made with [[octopus as food|octopus]], [[squid as food|squid]] or other [[seafood]] 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 ===
+{{See also|Libyan cuisine}}
 In Libya, couscous is mostly served with lamb (but sometimes [[camel meat]] 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 ===
+{{See also|Maltese cuisine}}
 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 [[Maltese language|Maltese]] as ''ful'') and ''ġbejniet'', a local type of cheese.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2016-01-05 |title=Kusksu - A traditional Maltese soup made with broad beans, peas and giant couscous. |url=https://www.amaltesemouthful.com/kusksu-beautiful-maltese-soup-start-new-year/ |access-date=2023-08-26 |website=A Maltese Mouthful |language=en-US |archive-date=July 19, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210719094532/https://www.amaltesemouthful.com/kusksu-beautiful-maltese-soup-start-new-year/ |url-status=dead }}</ref>
 === Mauritania ===
+{{See also|Mauritanian cuisine}}
 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 [[ghee]], locally known as ''dhen''.
+=== Morocco ===
+{{See also|Moroccan cuisine}}
+In [[Morocco]], couscous is a cultural staple traditionally served on Fridays following midday prayers. One of the most iconic preparations is couscous with seven vegetables, which typically features a broth of beef, lamb, or chicken, piled high with a variety of slow-cooked vegetables such as carrots, turnips, pumpkin, zucchini, and cabbage, alongside chickpeas. Another celebrated variation is ''couscous [[Tfaya|tfaya]]'', a sweet and savory dish where the steamed semolina and meat are topped with a caramelized garnish of onions, raisins, cinnamon, and toasted almonds.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Benlafquih |first=Christine |date=2020-09-25 |title=Moroccan Couscous with Seven Vegetables – Couscous Bidaoui |url=https://tasteofmaroc.com/moroccan-couscous-with-seven-vegetables/ |access-date=2026-03-31 |website=Taste of Maroc |language=en}}</ref> It is often served in a large communal clay platter known as a ''gsaa''.
+=== Tunisia ===
+{{See also|Tunisian cuisine}}
+In Tunisia, couscous is usually spicy, made with [[harissa]] sauce, and served commonly with vegetables and meat, including lamb, fish, seafood, beef, and sometimes (in southern regions) camel. [[Fish as food|Fish]] couscous is a Tunisian specialty and can also be made with [[octopus as food|octopus]], [[squid as food|squid]] or other [[seafood]] 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.
 == 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 [[orzo]] and [[risoni]] 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.<ref name="notpasta"/>
+Couscous is made from crushed wheat flour rolled into its constituent granules or pearls, making it distinct from pasta, even pasta such as [[orzo]] and [[risoni]] of similar size, which is made from ground wheat and either molded or [[Food extrusion|extruded]]. Couscous and pasta have similar nutritional value, although pasta is usually more refined.<ref name="notpasta"/>
 Several dishes worldwide are also made from granules, like those of couscous rolled from flour from grains or other milled or grated starchy crops.
 [[File:مغربية.jpg|thumb|Moghrabieh, in a stew with meat, chickpeas and onions]]
 * [[Attiéké]], a staple food in Côte d'Ivoire and surrounding regions of West Africa, is made from granulated grated [[cassava]].
-* Cuscuz ({{IPA|pt|kusˈkus}}) is a couscous-like dish from the [[Northeast Region, Brazil|Northeast Region of Brazil]]. It is made out of [[cornmeal]] and eaten hot with meat and cold with milk.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://revistagloborural.globo.com/GloboRural/0,6993,EEC533123-1488-4,00.html |title=Receitas |website=revistagloborural.globo.com |access-date=9 August 2017 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080129120634/http://revistagloborural.globo.com/GloboRural/0%2C6993%2CEEC533123-1488-4%2C00.html |archive-date=January 29, 2008 |df=mdy-all}}</ref> In the state of [[São Paulo]], a speciality known as {{ill|Cuscuz-paulista|pt|Cuscuz paulista}}, is made with cornmeal, tomato sauce, tomato pieces, olive oil, boiled egg and other ingredients, such as peas, sweetcorn, hearts of palm and sardines. It is also possible to find the dish made with shredded chicken, tuna or shrimp. All the ingredients are cooked in a pan and then placed and left to set in a mould with a hole in the middle. The Mould is then inverted onto a serving dish.
+* [[Dambou]] 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. [[Moringa (genus)|Moringa]] leaves are traditionally included in the dish.<ref name="UNDP">{{cite book|url=https://www.undp.org/publications/adaptive-farms-resilient-tables-building-secure-food-systems-and-celebrating-0|title=Adaptive Farms, Resilient Tables: Building secure food systems and celebrating distinct culinary traditions in a world of climate uncertainty|author=United Nations Development Programme - Climate Change Adaption Facility|chapter=CCAF Cookbook|date=June 2017|page=66|language=en|access-date=May 19, 2022|archive-date=May 19, 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220519050610/https://www.undp.org/publications/adaptive-farms-resilient-tables-building-secure-food-systems-and-celebrating-0|url-status=live}}</ref><ref name="CCRP">{{cite web |url=https://www.ccrp.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/08/Food-Processing-W.pdf |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201024011334/https://www.ccrp.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/08/Food-Processing-W.pdf |archive-date=2020-10-24 |url-status=live |title=Nutrition for Agriculture: Food Processing 2009-2017 |author=Collaborative Crop Research Program |publisher=The McKnight Foundation |access-date=May 19, 2022}}</ref> 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.<ref name="rec">{{cite web |url=https://recettesvegetales.com/couscous-aux-epinards/ |title=Couscous aux épinards - Dambou (Niger) |website=Recettes Vegetales |date=June 18, 2017 |access-date=May 19, 2022 |archive-date=June 28, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220628205629/https://recettesvegetales.com/couscous-aux-epinards/ |url-status=dead }}</ref>
-* [[Dambou]] 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. [[Moringa (genus)|Moringa]] leaves are traditionally included in the dish.<ref name="UNDP">{{cite book |url=https://www.undp.org/publications/adaptive-farms-resilient-tables-building-secure-food-systems-and-celebrating-0 |title= Adaptive Farms, Resilient Tables: Building secure food systems and celebrating distinct culinary traditions in a world of climate uncertainty  |author=United Nations Development Programme - Climate Change Adaption Facility |chapter=CCAF Cookbook |date=June 2017|page=66|language=en|access-date=May 19, 2022}}</ref><ref name="CCRP">{{cite web |url=https://www.ccrp.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/08/Food-Processing-W.pdf |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201024011334/https://www.ccrp.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/08/Food-Processing-W.pdf |archive-date=2020-10-24 |url-status=live |title=Nutrition for Agriculture: Food Processing 2009-2017 |author=Collaborative Crop Research Program |publisher=The McKnight Foundation |access-date=May 19, 2022}}</ref> 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.<ref name="rec">{{cite web |url=https://recettesvegetales.com/couscous-aux-epinards/ |title=Couscous aux épinards - Dambou (Niger) |website=Recettes Vegetales |date=June 18, 2017 |access-date=May 19, 2022}}</ref>
 * [[Fregula]] 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&nbsp;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.<ref>{{cite book|chapter-url=https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-34163-3_15|last1=Hammami|first1=Rifka|date=2020|pages=347–367|editor-last=Igrejas|editor-first=Gilberto|last2=Sissons|first2=Mike|title=Wheat Quality for Improving Processing and Human Health |chapter=Durum Wheat Products, Couscous |editor2-last=Ikeda|editor2-first=Tatsuya M.|editor3-last=Guzmán|editor3-first=Carlos|publisher=Springer International Publishing|language=en|doi=10.1007/978-3-030-34163-3_15|isbn=978-3-030-34163-3|s2cid=216234604 |access-date=May 19, 2022}}</ref>
 [[File:Palestinian couscous.jpg|thumb|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 ({{Convert|5-6|mm|in|abbr=on|frac=16|disp=or}} in diameter) 'pearls' to create a dish that is popular across Jordan, Lebanon and Syria.<ref name=WashPost>{{cite news|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/food/2021/05/14/couscous-moroccan-pearl-israeli/|title=A guide to couscous: The history, different types and how to cook with it|date=May 14, 2021|first=Aaron|last=Hutcherson|newspaper=The Washington Post|access-date=May 19, 2022}}</ref> 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 ({{Convert|2-3|mm|in|frac=16|abbr=on|disp=or}} in diameter) and made with [[bulgur]] or [[Semolina]], or a mix of both,<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2013/apr/26/maftoul-couscous-recipes-yotam-ottolenghi|title=Yotam Ottolenghi's maftoul recipes|date=April 26, 2013|first=Yotam|last=Ottolenghi|website=The Guardian|access-date=May 19, 2022}}</ref> white or whole wheat flour are sometimes used in place of semolina, which can sometimes be expensive.<ref>{{cite book |last1=el-Haddad |first1=Laila |title=The Gaza Kitchen: A Palestinian Culinary Journey |date=2016 |isbn=978-1682570081 |pages=245–250 |publisher=Just World Books |language=en}}</ref> 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.<ref name="asbell" />
 * Wusu-Wusu is a couscous that is prepared out of [[fonio]] in the Hausa region of Nigeria, Benin, Togo and Ghana.<ref name="Martin Brink, Getachew Melese Belay">{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=K3uww3qB94sC&pg=PA60|title=Céréales et légumes secs |author=Martin Brink, Getachew Melese Belay|year=2006|pages=60|publisher=PROTA |isbn=978-90-5782-172-1|access-date=May 19, 2022}}</ref>
+===Cuscuz===
+Cuscuz ({{IPA|pt|kusˈkus}}) is a couscous-like dish from the [[Northeast Region, Brazil|Northeast Region of Brazil]]. It is made out of [[cornmeal]] and eaten hot with meat and cold with milk.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://revistagloborural.globo.com/GloboRural/0,6993,EEC533123-1488-4,00.html |title=Receitas |website=revistagloborural.globo.com |access-date=9 August 2017 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080129120634/http://revistagloborural.globo.com/GloboRural/0%2C6993%2CEEC533123-1488-4%2C00.html |archive-date=January 29, 2008 |df=mdy-all}}</ref> In the state of [[São Paulo]], a speciality known as {{ill|cuscuz-paulista|pt|cuscuz paulista}} is made with cornmeal, tomato sauce, tomato pieces, olive oil, boiled egg and other ingredients, such as peas, sweet corn, hearts of palm and sardines. It is also possible to find the dish made with shredded chicken, tuna or shrimp. All the ingredients are cooked in a pan and then placed and left to set in a mould with a hole in the middle. The mould is then inverted onto a serving dish.
+===Moghrabieh===
+In the Levant, the dish known as moghrabieh ({{langx|ar|مغربية|translation=Maghrebi}}, a reference to the Maghreb region) uses the same durum-based semolina flour but rolled into larger ({{Convert|5-6|mm|in|abbr=on|frac=16|disp=or}} in diameter) 'pearls' to create a dish that is commonly served across Jordan, Lebanon and Syria.<ref name="gazakitchen" /><ref name=WashPost>{{cite news|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/food/2021/05/14/couscous-moroccan-pearl-israeli/|title=A guide to couscous: The history, different types and how to cook with it|date=May 14, 2021|first=Aaron|last=Hutcherson|newspaper=The Washington Post|access-date=May 19, 2022|archive-date=July 22, 2025|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250722053906/https://www.washingtonpost.com/food/2021/05/14/couscous-moroccan-pearl-israeli/|url-status=live}}</ref> The pearls are either cooked as part of a stew or flavored with cinnamon and served alongside a chicken and chickpea broth.<ref>{{cite news |title=My mother-in-law's moghrabieh is what my family gathers around |url=https://www.sbs.com.au/food/article/my-mother-in-laws-moghrabieh-is-what-my-family-gathers-around/tp73fmv5v |access-date=14 August 2025 |work=[[SBS Food]] |date=26 April 2022 |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Moghrabieh (pearl couscous) |url=https://www.sbs.com.au/food/recipe/moghrabieh-pearl-couscous/fle9imr8u |website=[[SBS Food]] |access-date=14 August 2025 |language=en |date=19 May 2017 |archive-date=August 16, 2025 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250816041309/https://www.sbs.com.au/food/recipe/moghrabieh-pearl-couscous/fle9imr8u |url-status=live }}</ref>
+<!-- Maftoul cuscuz and moghrabieh do not have their own pages and instead have redirect pages; do not rename these sections without updating the redirects! MOS:RENAMESECTION -->
+===Maftoul===
+Palestinian ''maftoul'' ({{langx|ar|[[wikt:مفتول|مفتول]]}}, also romanized as ''maftool'') uses granules that are larger than the North African variety but smaller than moghrabieh pearls ({{Convert|2-3|mm|in|frac=16|abbr=on|disp=or}} in diameter) and made by hand-rolling [[bulgur]] into flour, the bulgur is soaked in water before its rolled. After the pearls are rolled, they are steamed then sun-dried for preservation.<ref name="tamimiwrigley2020">{{cite web |last1=Tamimi |first1=Sami |last2=Wrigley |first2=Tara |author1-link=Sami Tamimi |title=The Ultimate Guide to Palestinian Food |url=https://www.souschef.co.uk/blogs/the-bureau-of-taste/the-ultimate-guide-to-palestinian-food |website=Sous Chef |access-date=5 February 2026 |language=en |date=10 June 2020 |archive-date=September 13, 2025 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250913054510/https://www.souschef.co.uk/blogs/the-bureau-of-taste/the-ultimate-guide-to-palestinian-food |url-status=live }}</ref><ref name="newarab2018">
+{{cite news |title=المفتول الفلسطيني... وجبة الشتاء وجمعة العائلة |url=https://www.alaraby.co.uk/%D8%A7%D9%84%D9%85%D9%81%D8%AA%D9%88%D9%84-%D8%A7%D9%84%D9%81%D9%84%D8%B3%D8%B7%D9%8A%D9%86%D9%8A-%D9%88%D8%AC%D8%A8%D8%A9-%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%B4%D8%AA%D8%A7%D8%A1-%D9%88%D8%AC%D9%85%D8%B9%D8%A9-%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%B9%D8%A7%D8%A6%D9%84%D8%A9 |access-date=5 February 2026 |work=The New Arab |date=2018 |language=ar |trans-title=Palestinian couscous... a winter meal and a family gathering}}
+</ref><ref name="gazakitchen"/><ref name="mishan2020">{{cite news |last1=Mishan |first1=Ligaya |author1-link=Ligaya Mishan |title=The Rise of Palestinian Food |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2020/02/12/t-magazine/palestinian-food.html |access-date=5 February 2026 |work=The New York Times |date=12 February 2020 |archive-date=August 3, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200803075026/https://www.nytimes.com/2020/02/12/t-magazine/palestinian-food.html |url-status=live }}</ref><ref name="ottolenghi2013">{{cite web|url=https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2013/apr/26/maftoul-couscous-recipes-yotam-ottolenghi|title=Yotam Ottolenghi's maftoul recipes|date=April 26, 2013|first=Yotam|last=Ottolenghi|website=The Guardian|access-date=May 19, 2022}}
+</ref><ref name="tamimi2025"/> Some varieties use fine semolina, white, or whole flour,<ref name="gazakitchen">{{cite book |last1=el-Haddad |first1=Laila |title=The Gaza Kitchen: A Palestinian Culinary Journey |date=2016 |isbn=978-1682570081 |pages=245–250 |publisher=Just World Books |language=en}}</ref> oil is also commonly added.<ref name="gazakitchen" /><ref name="tamimi2025">
+{{cite book |last1=Tamimi |first1=Sami |title=Boustany: A Celebration of Vegetables from my Palestine [A Cookbook] |date=15 July 2025 |publisher=Random House |isbn=978-1-9848-6318-8 |url=https://www.google.com/books/edition/Boustany/MEk9EQAAQBAJ?gbpv=1&pg=PA208 |access-date=5 February 2026 |language=en |page=208}}
+</ref> The hand-rolling makes the grains uneven in shape and size compared to moghrabieh and similar foods.<ref name="gazakitchen" /><ref name="ottolenghi2013"/><ref name="americasTestKitchen">
+{{cite book |title=More Mediterranean: 225+ New Plant-Forward Recipes Endless Inspiration for Eating Well |date=7 December 2021 |publisher=[[America's Test Kitchen]] |isbn=978-1-948703-88-8 |page=193,264 |url=https://www.google.com/books/edition/More_Mediterranean/lK1KEAAAQBAJ?gbpv=1&pg=PA264 |access-date=5 February 2026 |language=en}}
+</ref> 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.<ref name="asbell" /><ref>{{cite news |last1=Kalla |first1=Joudie |title=Palestinian recipes for maftoul tabbouleh and za'atar chicken |url=https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2017/feb/09/maftoul-tabbouleh-zaatar-chicken-recipe-palestinian-food-joudie-kalla-cook-residency |access-date=10 September 2025 |work=The Guardian |date=9 February 2017 |author-link1=Joudie Kalla}}</ref><ref name="newarab2018" /> It is attested as early as 1907, in [[Elihu Grant]]'s ''The Peasantry of Palestine''.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Grant |first1=Elihu |title=The Peasantry of Palestine: The Life, Manners and Customs of the Village; Illustrated with Original Photographs |date=1907 |publisher=Pilgrim Press |page=75 |url=https://www.google.com/books/edition/The_Peasantry_of_Palestine/8IKBAAAAIAAJ?gbpv=1&bsq=maft%C3%BBl |access-date=27 March 2026 |language=en}}</ref>
 == Dishes with similar names ==
@@ Line 126: / Line 156: @@
 {{Cuisine of Morocco}}
 {{Cuisine of Tunisia}}
-{{Jewish baked goods}}
 {{Cuisine of Israel}}
 {{Authority control}}
@@ Line 142: / Line 171: @@
 [[Category:Israeli cuisine]]
 [[Category:Italian cuisine]]
-[[Category:Jewish cuisine]]
 [[Category:Jordanian cuisine]]
+[[Category:Lebanese cuisine]]
 [[Category:Libyan cuisine]]
 [[Category:Maghrebi cuisine]]
@@ Line 153: / Line 182: @@
 [[Category:Palestinian cuisine]]
 [[Category:Senegalese cuisine]]
-[[Category:Sephardi Jewish cuisine]]
 [[Category:Syrian cuisine]]
 [[Category:Tunisian cuisine]]

Couscous: Difference between revisions

Latest revision as of 13:13, 19 May 2026

Contents

Etymology

History

Preparation

Recognition

Local variations

Algeria

Egypt

Libya

Malta

Mauritania

Morocco

Tunisia

Similar foods

Cuscuz

Moghrabieh

Maftoul

Dishes with similar names

See also

Notes

References

Navigation menu

Couscous: Difference between revisions

Latest revision as of 13:13, 19 May 2026

Etymology

History

Preparation

Recognition

Local variations

Algeria

Egypt

Libya

Malta

Mauritania

Morocco

Tunisia

Similar foods

Cuscuz

Moghrabieh

Maftoul

Dishes with similar names

See also

Notes

References

Navigation menu

Search