Couscous Couscous Couscous ( ' ; ') is a Maghrebi dish of small (about diameter) steamed balls of crushed durum wheat semolina that is traditionally served with a stew spooned on top. Pearl millet and sorghum especially in the Sahel and other cereals can be cooked in a similar way and the resulting dishes are also sometimes called couscous. Couscous is a staple food throughout the North African cuisines of Algeria, Morocco, Tunisia, Mauritania, Libya, and Egypt. In Western supermarkets, it is typically sold in instant form with a flavor packet, and may be served as a side or on its
Couscous and "keskes" in Tuareg. The origin of couscous appears to be in the region from eastern to northern Africa where Berbers used it as early as the 7th century. Recognized as a traditional North African delicacy, it is a common cuisine component among Maghreb countries. Ibn Battuta (b. Morocco, 1304-1368? AD) stated in his "Rihlah" (Travels), indicating what may be the earliest mention of couscous (kuskusu) in West Africa from the early 1350s: Couscous was traditionally made from the hard part of the durum, the part of the grain that resisted the grinding of the millstone. The semolina is sprinkled