At a glance
- Chicken couscous: durum wheat semolina steamed, chicken and vegetables simmered in a spiced broth.
- Origin: the Maghreb (Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia), inscribed on UNESCO's intangible cultural heritage list in 2020.
- Essential ingredients: couscous semolina, chicken, carrots, turnips, courgettes, chickpeas, ras el hanout.
- A Friday meal after the collective prayer, shared as a family around a common dish.
Origins and cultural history of chicken couscous
Couscous is an ancient dish of the Maghreb, prepared for a long time from rolled durum wheat semolina then steamed above a broth. On 16 December 2020, Algeria, Morocco, Mauritania and Tunisia jointly submitted a shared nomination to UNESCO, which inscribed the knowledge, know-how and practices linked to the production and consumption of couscous on the intangible cultural heritage of humanity, as a symbol of living together shared by the four countries.
In Morocco, Algeria and Tunisia, Friday traditionally remains couscous day: after the great collective midday prayer, families gather around a single dish placed at the centre of the table. The chicken and vegetable version, sometimes called couscous bidaoui in the Casablanca region, is one of the most common variants, alongside lamb or beef versions.
What are the essential ingredients of chicken couscous
The base of chicken couscous stays the same throughout the Maghreb: durum wheat semolina fluffed by steaming, a chicken and vegetable broth flavoured with ras el hanout, ginger and turmeric, and an assortment of vegetables that varies by family and season.
- medium couscous semolina
- chicken
- carrots, turnips and courgettes
- chickpeas
- onion and tomato
- ground ras el hanout, ginger and turmeric
What to know about chicken couscous
Chicken couscous combines steamed durum wheat semolina with chicken and vegetables simmered in a broth flavoured with ras el hanout, ginger and turmeric. The vegetables include carrots, turnips, courgettes and chickpeas, depending on the family and the season. In Morocco, Algeria and Tunisia it is the Friday dish, set in the middle of the table and shared by the family after the communal prayer. Couscous has been on UNESCO's intangible cultural heritage list since 2020.
Frequently asked questions about chicken couscous
Which semolina should I choose for a chicken couscous?
A medium durum wheat semolina suits most family recipes. It is fluffed over two or three steamings, with a light sprinkling of warm water and working it with a fork between each steaming, to obtain separate grains rather than a compact mass.
What is the difference between ras el hanout and shop-bought couscous spices?
Ras el hanout is a broad blend, sometimes made up of more than twenty spices, used in many Moroccan dishes. The couscous spices sold in sachets use a shorter selection, designed specifically to flavour the couscous broth, led by ginger, turmeric and paprika.
Where to find the ingredients for chicken couscous in France?
NKOSI sells the couscous semolina, the ras el hanout and the Maghrebi spices for the broth, and ships them from the Paris area within 24 to 72 working hours, to mainland France (2 to 3 working days) and to ten European countries. The minimum order is 39 €: in France, delivery to a pickup point is then free, and home delivery is free from 69 €.
