National Couscous Day

National Couscous Day – A Celebration of a Delicious Food!

August 5th is National Couscous Day, and what better way to celebrate than by learning a little bit about this scrumptious food? This post will give you a brief history of couscous, introduce you to the different kinds of couscous available, and provide instructions on how to cook it. By the end, you’ll be ready to celebrate National Couscous Day in style!

History of Couscous

Couscous is a type of pasta that originated in North Africa. It is made from durum wheat semolina and typically served with vegetables, meat, or fish. The word “couscous” comes from the Arabic word “kuskusu,” which means “well-formed.” Couscous has been around for centuries and was originally made by rolling dampened semolina flour into tiny balls. These balls were then dried in the sun and crushed into a granular form.

Different Kinds of Couscous

There are four main types of couscous: Moroccan couscous, Israeli couscous, Lebanese couscous, and Tunisian couscous. Moroccan couscous is the most common type; it is small and has a light, fluffy texture. Israeli couscous is also known as ptitim; it is larger than Moroccan couscous and has a chewy texture. Lebanese couscous is even larger than Israeli couscous and has a firm texture. Tunisian couscous is the largest type; it is very similar to Israeli couscus but has a slightly different shape.

How to Cook Couscous

The great thing about couscous is that it is quick and easy to cook! To make Moroccan-style couscous, simply bring 1 cup of water to a boil for every 1 cup of dry couscous. Add the dry couscos to the boiling water, reduce the heat to low, cover the pot, and let simmer for 5 minutes. Remove from heat and fluff with a fork before serving. Israeli-style ptitim are cooked in the same way; however, they will need to simmer for 10 minutes before being removed from heat.

As for Lebanese and Tunisian styles of couscusos, they are first soaked in water for 30 minutes before being boiled for 10 minutes.

Couscous is a delicious food that can be enjoyed in many different ways! This National Couscus Day, take some time to learn about this fascinating food and try your hand at cooking it yourself. You might just find that you have a new favorite dish!