While the origins of the dish are disputed, most sources point to the Imazighen, who are the indigenous people of North Africa. After Islam reached the Maghreb in the 7th century, eating couscous after Friday midday prayers gradually became an authentic Moroccan tradition.
Fridays, or Jum'ah, is a special day for Muslims around the world and in Morocco. On this day, Moroccans visit the mosque for prayer around noontime then go home—or to a restaurant—for delicious couscous.
Couscous is the traditional dish of the Berbers of Algeria and Morocco, an ethnic group in the region. This is perhaps why the most popular style of couscous used in the North African region is called 'Moroccan couscous'. The tiny balls of semolina are typically soaked and steamed.
Every Friday, Moroccans gather with family and friends to share couscous. Couscous is a meal made with vegetables, meat and couscous. Couscous is a type of spicy, tiny pasta that is a traditional dish in Morocco. Even restaurants throughout Morocco serve couscous on Fridays!
This fundamental dish to Moroccan cuisine is cooked in large quantities and is commonly enjoyed on the national Moroccan holy day, Friday. Couscous is usually served in a communal dish and represents the opportunity to gather and share with family and friends. It is hard to trace back the origins of couscous.
The ethnic group of North Africa, in whose language couscous means “well rolled” or “well formed.” Since there, couscous came to spread around the world and became a principal meal for Moroccans, Algerians, and Tunisians. couscous is the official Moroccan national dish and Tunisia's unofficial national dish.
The preparation of couscous is one that symbolizes “happiness and abundance,” in the words of one culinary anthropologist. One of the first written references to couscous is in the anonymous thirteenth-century Hispano-Muslim cookery book Kitāb al-ṭabīkh fī al-Maghrib wa'l-Āndalus.
In North African tradition, couscous symbolizes good luck, blessings and family. It is typically served on the Sabbath Evening, holidays and celebrations.
If you ask any Moroccan what the nation's most popular dish is, they will likely tell you couscous. This traditional meal is served every Friday as a ritual for families to gather and pray together.
Lunch is considered the most important meal of the day, hence the midday closure of most businesses, shops, and offices from noon to 2pm, sometimes 2:30pm. It's therefore also the longest meal, and can include any number of courses.
The famous Moroccan mint tea is the most common drink that people enjoy with couscous with plain water also a staple at most tables. Leben, a thick and strong-tasting type of milk is also popular with some people when they eat sweet couscous.
Is couscous vegan? Yes, dried couscous is a vegan ingredient. While couscous dishes may sometimes include non-vegan ingredients such as cheese or meat, the small semolina pearls themselves are completely plant-based. It's basically the same as dried pasta, which is usually vegan (unlike fresh pasta made with egg).
Couscous is made from tiny steamed balls of semolina flour. Though we think of it as a grain, it's actually a type of pasta. Couscous is a North African dish made from tiny steamed balls of semolina flour. Though we think of it and cook it as a grain, it is actually a type of pasta.
While couscous and white rice have almost the same amount of calories per 100 grams, couscous contains more protein and higher amounts of vitamins and minerals so can be considered a healthier option in those departments. Both grains can support weight loss when incoporated into a balanced, healthy diet.
According to food writer Charles Perry, couscous originated among the Berbers of Algeria and Morocco between the end of the 11th-century Zirid dynasty, modern-day Algeria, and the rise of the 13th-century Almohad Caliphate.
The main difference between pearl and Moroccan couscous is the size. The grains of Moroccan couscous are much smaller, compared to the pea-size granules in the pearl variety (made memorable by their namesake). This, of course, affects the preparation and cooking time of each grain.
Moroccan Jewish cuisine makes use of the country's abundant fruit and vegetables, mutton and lamb, almonds, walnuts, olives, and olive and argan oil. It frequently uses spices and condiments such as cinnamon, cumin, ras el hanout (a mixture of spices), ginger, saffron, paprika, garlic, preserved lemon and olives.
Moroccan couscous is the smallest—about the size of semolina—and cooks in minutes. Israeli couscous, also called pearl couscous, is larger and resembles tiny pieces of pasta. It takes about 10 minutes to cook.
In Israel, pearled couscous is typically served very simply – often with little more than a bit of tomato sauce or some fried onions. This variation honors that simplicity but amps up the flavor with sautéed shallots standing in for the onions, fresh thyme, bright lemon juice, and a sprinkle of toasted almonds.
Traditional couscous can't be eaten on passover, but when you grate a cauliflower in a food processor or on a box grater it achieves a similar texture. You can use it raw in salads or cook gently to make Dilled Cauliflower Rice.
Hence a banana is halachically considered a vegetable and the bracha, the blessing, made on a banana is borei pri hoadama .
After Islam reached the Maghreb in the 7th century, eating couscous after Friday midday prayers gradually became an authentic Moroccan tradition.
Couscous is generally a healthful food that you can feel comfortable including as part of a well-balanced diet. It's naturally low in fat, can be a good source of fiber (the whole wheat version), and provides some protein, B vitamins, and minerals (1).