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
Couscous own as a main dish. The original name may be derived from the Arabic word "Kaskasa", meaning "to pound small" or the Berber "Seksu", meaning "well rolled", "well formed", or "rounded". Numerous different names and pronunciations for couscous exist around the world. Couscous is or in the United Kingdom and only the latter in the United States. It is sometimes pronounced "kuskusi" () in Arabic, while it is known in Morocco as "seksu"; "kesksu" or ( ; in Algeria as "kosksi" ' (, literally meaning "food"); in Tunisia and Libya "kosksi" or "kuseksi" , in Egypt "kuskusi" (), Sicily "cuscusu"