Couscous

Couscous is small, granular pasta made from rolled and steamed durum wheat semolina, a staple of Maghrebi cuisine across Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia and Libya. Traditionally the semolina is hand-rolled with water into tiny granules, then dried and steamed multiple times in a two-part pot called a couscoussier, with a savory meat and vegetable stew simmering below to flavor the grain as it steams. Beyond North Africa, couscous has become a widely available convenience food, commonly sold pre-steamed and dried so it can be reconstituted quickly, and it is now used across Europe and elsewhere as a base for salads and side dishes.