''Mesfouf'' or ''masfouf'' () is an Algerian and Tunisian dish which is a variant of

couscous Couscous () is a traditional North African dish a quote: “Couscous or seksu (Image 1) in Berber language or kuskus in Arabic is by origin a Numidian (the Berber population of Numidia) dish…” of small steamed granules of rolled semolina ...

with finely rolled semolina and butter or olive oil. This food is quite popular in the

Maghreb The Maghreb (; ), also known as the Arab Maghreb () and Northwest Africa, is the western part of the Arab world. The region comprises western and central North Africa, including Algeria, Libya, Mauritania, Morocco, and Tunisia. The Maghreb al ...

. It is conventional to consume the ''mesfouf'' during the holy month of

Ramadan Ramadan is the ninth month of the Islamic calendar. It is observed by Muslims worldwide as a month of fasting (''Fasting in Islam, sawm''), communal prayer (salah), reflection, and community. It is also the month in which the Quran is believed ...

. It is served at traditional celebrations or family meals.

Local recipes

In Algeria, it is served as a main dish made of peas and beans. According to them, it is advisable to drink it with some

whey Whey is the liquid remaining after milk has been curdled and strained. It is a byproduct of the manufacturing of cheese or casein and has several commercial uses. Sweet whey is a byproduct resulting from the manufacture of rennet types of hard c ...

or yoghurt to facilitate digestion even though it is lighter than couscous. Algerian Masfouf

There are many local recipes for the ''mesfouf'', such as the savory one and the sweet one. Some people opt for the one which contains vegetables and meat. As for the others, they want it accompanied with

peas Pea (''pisum'' in Latin) is a pulse or fodder crop, but the word often refers to the seed or sometimes the pod of this flowering plant species. Peas are eaten as a vegetable. Carl Linnaeus gave the species the scientific name ''Pisum sativum ...

and dried grapes as in the surrounding of

Tunis Tunis (, ') is the capital city, capital and largest city of Tunisia. The greater metropolitan area of Tunis, often referred to as "Grand Tunis", has about 2,700,000 inhabitants. , it is the third-largest city in the Maghreb region (after Casabl ...

Sfax Sfax ( ; , ) is a major port city in Tunisia, located southeast of Tunis. The city, founded in AD849 on the ruins of Taparura, is the capital of the Sfax Governorate (about 955,421 inhabitants in 2014), and a Mediterranean port. Sfax has a ...

ians prefer it decorated with almond and dates and dried fruits (

pistachios The pistachio (, ; ''Pistacia vera'') is a small to medium-sized tree of the Anacardiaceae, cashew family, originating in Iran. The tree produces nut (fruit)#Culinary definition and uses, seeds that are widely consumed as food. In 2022, world ...

, hazel nuts) and

custard Custard is a variety of culinary preparations based on sweetened milk, cheese, or cream cooked with Eggs as food, egg or egg yolk to thicken it, and sometimes also flour, corn starch, or gelatin. Depending on the recipe, custard may vary in con ...

.International Inner Wheel Sfax, ''Nos recettes de tous les jours et jours de fêtes'', p. 169 Some people also like to pour milk on the ''mesfouf'' and add sugar to it to make it sweet, as a "cereal", and some dried grapes and/or dates. As for the Djerbian version of the ''mesfouf'', it is spicy and it is often composed of peppers and dried meat and various herbs (garlic, fennel,

lavender ''Lavandula'' (common name lavender) is a genus of 47 known species of perennial flowering plants in the sage family, Lamiaceae. It is native plant, native to the Old World, primarily found across the drier, warmer regions of the Mediterranean ...

...)

References

Arab cuisine Algerian cuisine Tunisian cuisine Middle Eastern cuisine {{Tunisia-cuisine-stub

Local recipes

See also

References