Couscous - what is this dish and what does it eat?

Couscous is a cereal made from finely ground wheat. Something like a manna. It originally originated in North Africa in the twelfth century, but since immigrants from this geographic region (Berbers) led an active nomadic life, couscous quickly spread to neighboring countries and then gained wide popularity in Southern Europe. In Africa, it is used in festive dishes, and in ordinary.

The historical past of couscous and the technology of its preparation

The most common association among people who hear for the first time about couscous is that it is a dish of Moroccan cuisine. Muslims of this country use it on Fridays, and also on holidays. So they call the cereal itself, and the main dish from it. In ancient times, local people talked about couscous, that it was the food of the poor. Then it was produced from the cheapest wheat, now it became the decoration of the table and the pride of every mistress. In ancient times, the rump was made by hand - this is a very laborious process. Wheat is ground to the state of semolina grains, and of them couscous is already made. What does this action represent? Take a flat wide container, add a little water, oil and flour to it, then fill it with a mango. Hands roll the croup to the state of large grains, the diameter of which should be the standard - up to 1 mm. Now couscous is cooked in the production with the participation of machines. The process no longer requires manual labor.

Couscous Dishes

To make this traditional dish you need special dishes. It is called a borma. This is a large saucepan, divided into parts (like a steamer). In the upper, which is a colander with holes, cereals are being prepared. In the lower - meat stew (lamb, chicken) and vegetables. Aromatic steam rises from below and impregnates couscous. What does this dish require more than cereals, meat and vegetables? Of course, the abundance of spices. In the classical version, it is black pepper, ginger, paprika, turmeric and arissa. You can add cinnamon and saffron (it will give an intense yellow color to the dish). Couscous are served on a large plate, in the center of which are laid vegetables and meat, and on the edges - croup. It is served with a sauce of olive oil with the addition of coriander, garlic, pepper and cumin. Previously, the dish was eaten by hand, but now most often use cutlery. A lot of recipes offer to add different spices and vegetables - the result can be every time new. Pumpkin, aubergines, zucchini, onions, tomatoes, corn - is not a complete list of what can be used. In every Moroccan family they understand in their own way what a couscous is. Photos of this dish amaze with an abundance of colors - brightness gives it vegetables and spices.

Sweet couscous

This groat is widely used in sweet dishes. One of the possible variants of the sweet couscous is the maskuf. For him, the rump is steamed with a well-heated mixture of juice with honey and zest. Prepare nuts (almonds, hazelnuts, walnuts): fry and grind with a blender. Dried fruits should be pre-washed and soaked. You can take almost any - cherries, cranberries, raisins, figs or candied fruits. It is better to cut large ones smaller. Strew the stewed groats with nuts and dried fruits, season with butter. Serve for dessert, with tea or milk.