Israeli Couscous
| SKU | Unit Size |
|---|---|
| 50831 | 12 x 400 g |
| 50832 | 2 kg BULK |
| 50834 | 10 kg BULK |
-
Description
Israeli Couscous is a relatively new invention. Do you know that?
It was invented in the 1950s at the suggestion of David Ben-Gurion, then Prime Minister of Israel. Israel had just finished the War of Independence. Many new immigrants were arriving after the war from Europe. These new settlers depended on rice as a food staple in their cooking, but there were rice shortages.
David Ben-Gurion sought out an alternative to the traditional staple of rice that could be easily mass-produced. Ben-Gurion asked Eugen Propper of the Osem food company to come up with something that people could use instead. Osem came up with Israeli Couscous, made originally in the shape of rice grains, as is Orzo pasta (it is still available in this shape today.)
In Israel, the dish is called ptitim, which translates roughly from Hebrew to “little crumbles.”
Unlike the finely grained North African Couscous made of semolina, Israeli Couscous has larger granules, resembling tiny pearls, which are made of baked wheat. The result is a pasta-like product, which remains firm when cooked and has a delicious toasted wheat flavor, similar to the Sardinian pasta, fregola sarda.
How did the Israeli Couscous make it to North America? In the 90s, the Israeli chef, Mika Sharon, who was living in New York, hosted the American chef and cookbook author Don Pintabona for dinner. He tried the p’titim and, shortly after, was serving it in his New York restaurant, calling it “Israeli Couscous.”
Israeli Couscous is made by repeating the Couscous-making process—gradually adding water to semolina and rolling it with the palms of the hands to form small bead-like granules over and over again so that these beads amass moisture and flour.
Because Israeli Couscous is made from wheat flour, it is not a gluten-free food, though it is vegetarian and vegan. Israeli Couscous also has a low glycemic index, making it a healthy and high-fibre food.
Perfect served cold and tossed with fresh herbs and a bright vinaigrette, or hot – warmed and served with some good quality cheese and roasted vegetables – there are countless ways to enjoy Israeli Couscous.
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Ingredients
Durum wheat semolina, salt, water.
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Directions
To prepare Israeli or Pearl Couscous, you'll need about 1 1/4 cups of water or vegetable broth for every 1 cup of dry grain. Simmer the grains on the stovetop, covered, for about 10 minutes. The grains fluff up just slightly, and, like barley, they have more of an "al dente" mouth feel when done cooking.
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Uses
- In Israel, pearled Couscous is typically served very simply – often with little more than a bit of tomato sauce or some fried onions.
- You can make a variation of the simple recipe that honours that simplicity but amps up the flavour with sautéed shallots standing in for the onions, thyme, lemon juice, and a sprinkle of toasted almonds.
- You can warm up leftover Couscous with milk and enjoy it instead of oatmeal for breakfast.
- Another breakfast idea is frying the couscous in olive oil, maybe with some chopped onions. Beat two eggs, pour them over the Couscous, and fry until done.
- Because the flavour of Couscous is neutral, and it absorbs sauces so well, it makes a great bed for almost any stew or entrée with sauce.
- It is a great stuffing for roasted vegetables.
- Roasted Cherry Tomato and Basil Couscous Salad - A drizzle of olive oil and a quick roast in the oven brings a rich and full flavour to the tomatoes in this simple, fresh salad recipe.
- For an uber-foodie twist, add pistachios, golden raisins, and chopped dates to Israeli Couscous in this crunchy-sweet-fresh dish.
-
Storage
Avoid excess heat or humidity and store away from aromatic materials. Under ambient conditions, shelf life is from 6 months to a year.
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Nutrition
Nutrition Facts Per 1/4 cup (45 g) Amount % Daily Value Calories 170 - Fat 0 g 0% Saturated Fat 0 g - + Trans Fat 0 g 0% Carbohydrate 35 g - Fibre 2 g 8% Sugars 0 g 0% Sugar Alcohol - - Protein 6 g - Cholesterol 0 mg - Sodium 0 mg 0% Potassium 75 mg 2% Calcium 10 mg 1% Iron 0.5 mg 3% -
Allergens
Contains: Wheat
-
Recipes & Posts
| SKU | Unit Size |
|---|---|
| 50831 | 12 x 400 g |
| 50832 | 2 kg BULK |
| 50834 | 10 kg BULK |
-
Description
-
Ingredients
-
Directions
-
Uses
-
Nutrition
-
Storage
-
Allergens
-
Recipes & Posts
-
Israeli Couscous is a relatively new invention. Do you know that?
It was invented in the 1950s at the suggestion of David Ben-Gurion, then Prime Minister of Israel. Israel had just finished the War of Independence. Many new immigrants were arriving after the war from Europe. These new settlers depended on rice as a food staple in their cooking, but there were rice shortages.
David Ben-Gurion sought out an alternative to the traditional staple of rice that could be easily mass-produced. Ben-Gurion asked Eugen Propper of the Osem food company to come up with something that people could use instead. Osem came up with Israeli Couscous, made originally in the shape of rice grains, as is Orzo pasta (it is still available in this shape today.)
In Israel, the dish is called ptitim, which translates roughly from Hebrew to “little crumbles.”
Unlike the finely grained North African Couscous made of semolina, Israeli Couscous has larger granules, resembling tiny pearls, which are made of baked wheat. The result is a pasta-like product, which remains firm when cooked and has a delicious toasted wheat flavor, similar to the Sardinian pasta, fregola sarda.
How did the Israeli Couscous make it to North America? In the 90s, the Israeli chef, Mika Sharon, who was living in New York, hosted the American chef and cookbook author Don Pintabona for dinner. He tried the p’titim and, shortly after, was serving it in his New York restaurant, calling it “Israeli Couscous.”
Israeli Couscous is made by repeating the Couscous-making process—gradually adding water to semolina and rolling it with the palms of the hands to form small bead-like granules over and over again so that these beads amass moisture and flour.
Because Israeli Couscous is made from wheat flour, it is not a gluten-free food, though it is vegetarian and vegan. Israeli Couscous also has a low glycemic index, making it a healthy and high-fibre food.
Perfect served cold and tossed with fresh herbs and a bright vinaigrette, or hot – warmed and served with some good quality cheese and roasted vegetables – there are countless ways to enjoy Israeli Couscous.
-
Durum wheat semolina, salt, water.
-
To prepare Israeli or Pearl Couscous, you'll need about 1 1/4 cups of water or vegetable broth for every 1 cup of dry grain. Simmer the grains on the stovetop, covered, for about 10 minutes. The grains fluff up just slightly, and, like barley, they have more of an "al dente" mouth feel when done cooking.
-
- In Israel, pearled Couscous is typically served very simply – often with little more than a bit of tomato sauce or some fried onions.
- You can make a variation of the simple recipe that honours that simplicity but amps up the flavour with sautéed shallots standing in for the onions, thyme, lemon juice, and a sprinkle of toasted almonds.
- You can warm up leftover Couscous with milk and enjoy it instead of oatmeal for breakfast.
- Another breakfast idea is frying the couscous in olive oil, maybe with some chopped onions. Beat two eggs, pour them over the Couscous, and fry until done.
- Because the flavour of Couscous is neutral, and it absorbs sauces so well, it makes a great bed for almost any stew or entrée with sauce.
- It is a great stuffing for roasted vegetables.
- Roasted Cherry Tomato and Basil Couscous Salad - A drizzle of olive oil and a quick roast in the oven brings a rich and full flavour to the tomatoes in this simple, fresh salad recipe.
- For an uber-foodie twist, add pistachios, golden raisins, and chopped dates to Israeli Couscous in this crunchy-sweet-fresh dish.
-
Nutrition Facts Per 1/4 cup (45 g) Amount % Daily Value Calories 170 - Fat 0 g 0% Saturated Fat 0 g - + Trans Fat 0 g 0% Carbohydrate 35 g - Fibre 2 g 8% Sugars 0 g 0% Sugar Alcohol - - Protein 6 g - Cholesterol 0 mg - Sodium 0 mg 0% Potassium 75 mg 2% Calcium 10 mg 1% Iron 0.5 mg 3% -
Avoid excess heat or humidity and store away from aromatic materials. Under ambient conditions, shelf life is from 6 months to a year.
-
Contains: Wheat