Durum Wheat Couscous Grains: An Ethnic Mediterranean Food at the Interface of Traditional Domestic Preparation and Industrial Manufacturing

Abstract

Couscous is the product prepared from durum wheat semolina that agglomerates by adding water and undergoes physical and thermal treatment. Couscous is a traditional food from Mediterranean countries consumed for many centuries. Between ancestral domestic practices and industrial performance, the diversity of methods for couscous processing meets the needs of different consumers, whether they are concerned about preserving family culinary traditions or discovering innovative foods that respond to changing consumption patterns. In this work, we present the story of durum wheat couscous through several complementary visions and approaches: a “historical and societal“ approach to discover the origins of couscous, its migrations and its unifying role in Mediterranean societies; a “physicochemical” approach to describe the role of wheat components at the heart of couscous grains; a “technological” approach to compare domestic and industrial production of couscous; a “food science” approach to understand organoleptic characteristics of couscous grains; and a “consumer” approach to understand the motivations associated with the consumption of couscous.

Evaluation of the performance of the human gastric simulator using durum wheat-based foods of contrasting food structure

“…5A). The classes were defined based on the initial particle areas of the foods, as well as the hypothesized particle area that would undergo gastric sieving: 100 mm 2 was selected to represent the 2-D projected area of intact pasta piece (∼15 mm length × 7 mm width); 10 mm 2 was selected to represent the smallest area of semolina clumps; 4 mm 2 was selected to represent the approximated 2-D projected area of circular particles of ∼2 mm diameter that are likely to undergo gastric sieving; 20 0.1 mm 2 represented the approximate area of individual durum wheat semolina particle 55,56 (typical diameter ∼300 μm).…”

Reformulating Couscous with Sprouted Buckwheat: Physico-Chemical Properties and Sensory Characteristics Assessed by E-Senses

“…Buckwheat has been selected as a raw material thanks to its ability to be cultivated in a variety of environmental conditions, preferring humid and cool climates [37], and since it contains several bioactive compounds such as polyphenols and vitamins, whose benefits on human health have been recently reviewed [38]. Couscous was selected as the final product, appreciated all over the world, whose preparation requires short cooking times and a minimum amount of water [32], interesting aspects under the spectacle of limiting the environmental impact of food preparation.…”

“…Couscous containing sprouted buckwheat generally resulted in higher hardness, except for sample S48h_50-C. The hardness of couscous is linked to the granulometry: the finer the granules, the lower the hardness [32]. This might be a reason why S48_50-C showed the lowest hardness; from particle size analysis, this sample resulted in the finest (Supplementary Figure S1).…”

Underrated aspects of a true Mediterranean diet: understanding traditional features for worldwide application of a “Planeterranean” diet

“…Barley is double baked into hard crunchy bread called rusks , or paximadia , generally softened up with dressings (including cheeses) and dips, or as the base of Dakos (tomatoes, feta cheese, oregano, and extra-virgin olive oil) [ 74 ]. Bulgur and couscous (Durum wheat semolina ) are used in Eastern Mediterranean countries as main cereals in salads (i.e., the Turkish kisir ) with vegetables and sauces [ 75 , 76 ]. In Italy, cereals are mainly consumed as bread and pasta of various shapes and compositions or risotto (rice per se with a variety of sauces and preparations); in Northern Italy, whole grain corn flour can be used to cook polenta , a creamy versatile preparation that can be baked, boiled, or fried into a harder cake [ 77 ].…”