What’s in a reputation, anyway? The etymological origins of couscous could possibly be one in all two issues. The Baltimore Sun studies the phrase could possibly be onomatopoeic, with the pronunciation “koos-koos” imitating the hissing sound of the steam escaping from the holes within the couscousière (the pot during which the couscous is cooked).
Or, the phrase could possibly be a spinoff of the African expression for “pecked at,” because the tiny grains resemble chicken feed. Both manner, couscous has been a staple dish of the Maghreb area because the thirteenth century and bought intangible cultural heritage standing from UNESCO in 2020 (by way of The Washington Post).
The traditional course of for creating couscous begins with semolina, basically coarsely floor durum wheat. Evenly sprinkled with water, the combination is rolled between the palms to make small, irregular granules. Whether or not this throws it into the pasta category is up for debate, as couscous is made like pasta however cooked and handled like rice (by way of the Washington Publish).
Cooking-wise, Once Upon a Chef studies that steaming conventional couscous within the multi-chambered couscousière is time-consuming. Fortunately, the couscous bought in the USA is partially pre-cooked, that means it typically comes collectively in lower than 5 minutes (simply remember to let couscous rest a bit after cooking). Nutty and mildly candy, couscous offers the proper clean canvas for a lot of Mediterranean dishes.
