Algerian couscous

Couscous
Alternative namesKouskous, T'aam, Berboucha, Seksou, Kesksou, Rfiss, Mesfouf, Seffa
CourseMain course, side dish
Place of originNumidia[1][2][3]
Main ingredientsSemolina

Algerian couscous, (Berber languages: ⵙⴽⵙⵓ, romanized: seksu, Arabic: كُسْكُس kuskus; ) – sometimes called kusksi, kseksu, or seksu, is a North African dish that typically consists of semolina granules. There are several regional variations of Algerian couscous, and the specific ingredients and preparation methods can vary depending on the area and the preferences of the cook.[4]

The preparation of Algerian couscous can be a time-consuming process that requires several steps. First, the semolina granules are moistened with water and olive oil and rubbed together until they form small, uniform balls. These balls are then steamed in a keskas, a special pot with a steamer basket on top, for about an hour until they are fluffy and tender. Meanwhile, the meat and vegetables are cooked in a separate pot with spices, such as cumin, coriander, and turmeric. The stew is then combined with the cooked couscous, and the dish is typically garnished with onions or fresh herbs, such as parsley or cilantro.[5][6]

  1. ^ 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. “Couscous or seksu (Image 1) in Berber language or kuskus in Arabic is by origin a Numidian (the Berber population of Numidia) dish…”
  2. ^ Hammami, Rifka, Reine Barbar, Marie Laurent, and Bernard Cuq. "Durum Wheat Couscous Grains: An Ethnic Mediterranean Food at the Interface of Traditional Domestic Preparation and Industrial Manufacturing." Foods 11, no. 7 (2022): 902. pp.1-2. “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”
  3. ^ Bolens, Lucie (1990). La cuisine andalouse, un art de vivre: XIe-XIIIe siècle. Albin Michel. ISBN 9782226041005. Retrieved May 19, 2022.
  4. ^ Fatima-Zohra, Bouayed (1970-01-01). La cuisine algérienne. Temps Actuels.
  5. ^ Chemache, Loucif; Kehal, Farida; Namoune, Hacène; Chaalal, Makhlouf; Gagaoua, Mohammed (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. S2CID 133982691.
  6. ^ "LA CUISINE ALGERIENNE (1983) by Bouayed, Fatima-Zohra: (1983) | Invito alla Lettura". www.abebooks.com. p. 233. Retrieved 2023-02-24.