Couscous

A food generally associated with North African cuisine, couscous is usually made from semolina flour. In the traditional method of preparing it, the flour is laid out on a large round mesh frame, sprinkled with water, and laboriously rolled into tiny balls of grain. Couscous is also the name of the dish that is cooked in a couscoussier. A stew cooks in the lower half while the couscous steams in the perforated upper section. As well as being a staple food in North Africa, couscous is also popular in parts of Italy, Egypt and the Middle East.