6 Cool Couscous Recipes

French couscous recipes might have given couscous a global reputation, but there are many amazing cuisines that show the diversity of this ingredient. It is widely used in Africa and the Middle East due to the relatively high yields of durum wheat in drier areas.

First up let's talk about a common misconception. Couscous is actually a pasta, not a grain, as it is made from durum wheat. It is still commonly compared to rice and quinoa due to it's preparation. Compared to brown rice couscous has higher protein and a lower GI rating.

There are three common varieties of couscous. Moroccan couscous, Israeli couscous, and Lebanese couscous. Morroccan is the small grain couscous commonly seen in Australia, while Israeli is a larger grain also known as pearl couscous. Lebanese couscous is less common, but is larger still and can be as large in diameter as chickpeas.

Although the varieties of couscous above are made from durum wheat that has been ground into semolina, there are many other cereals that are used in similar dishes. Millet, sorghum, pearl barley, and bulgur are sometimes prepared in a similar way, and other ingredients can be used to make couscous like purple pearl couscous.