Couscous versus migas and many pastas

Wheat, pulses, and legumes were widely cultivated Chickpeas cooked with vegetables became an embryonic cocido, a stew still cherished by madrileños. Chickpeas alone were nonetheless regarded as a “dish of Bedouins and gluttons” (according to the 13^th century cookbook), and were only to be used for their juice or ground into flour. Instead couscous, that typical grain of the Berbers made from rubbed semolina, was steam cooked to become an aristocratic side dish served at court and festivals. Fragrant, sweet versions were cooked with orange blossom water, raisins, and cinnamon.