Couscous (Three-Steam Method)

Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia (Berber origin; the national dish of the Maghreb)

True Moroccan couscous — semolina rolled into tiny pellets and steamed three times over a vegetable and meat broth in a couscoussière — is one of the most labour-intensive and technically sophisticated grain preparations in the world, producing a cloud-light, individual-grained final product that instant couscous cannot approximate. The three-steam method alternates steaming and hand-rolling with butter between each pass: the first steam hydrates the grain; the second develops the starch structure; the third achieves the final fluffy, non-clumping texture. The couscoussière (a double vessel — pot below for the broth, perforated steamer above) allows the grain's starch to gelatinise only from steam, not direct moisture contact, which is what produces the characteristic light texture.

Seven-vegetable couscous (seven being a number of Moroccan good luck) is the traditional Friday preparation; harissa served separately allows individual heat adjustment; buttermilk (lben) alongside is the traditional beverage.