Best Quality Couscous

Semolina, durum granular, and durum flour, which is milled from durum wheat are used to manufacture paste and non-paste food products. Paste products are made by mixing water with semolina or durum flour to form unleavened dough, which is then formed into different shapes and either cooked and eaten or dried for later consumption as Couscous is prepared. Pasta and Couscous are paste products. Products of durum wheat in a high moisture leavened or unleavened bread and cooked or steamed bulgur (cracked durum wheat) and frekeh (parched immature wheat kernel) are non-paste food products.

What is Durum Wheat?

Durum wheat is of the variety Triticum turgidum, a very hard wheat with a high protein content. The dough is less elastic than bread doughs, but this makes it easier to roll into pasta shapes. The durum wheat is milled to remove the bran and germ, which leaves the rich yellow endosperm granules called semolina. This is then ground into flour and used to make pasta. Semolina granules are used for cereals and Couscous products that are a wonderful addition to your healthy eating plan. This is the ethos of the Martino brand as we have developed a range of first quality grain, unique organoleptic and nutritional quality Couscous for an authentic Italian-taste product.

Durum Wheat Couscous

Couscous is a paste product made from mixing semolina with water, and is known as one of the major food staples in North African countries, such as Egypt, Libya, Tunisia, Algeria, and Morocco. An estimated 10% of durum wheat in the Near East is used to manufacture Couscous.  While Couscous is usually made from durum wheat semolina in North African countries, it is also made from bread wheat, sorghum, pearl millet, or maize in other regions of the world. However, durum wheat Couscous gives the food excellent texture, taste and nutritional qualities.

Traditionally, Couscous used to be handmade in small quantities by mixing a small quantity of water with semolina in a large bowl. The moisture content of the hydrated semolina is around 30%.  The hydrated semolina is rubbed between the hands until small granules are formed. These granules are screened through sieves to obtain a uniform size. Granule size uniformity is very important for good cooking quality. Hydration rate during cooking will be slower with larger than with smaller Couscous granules. The granules are precooked, dried in the sun, and stored.

But after modernizing production for commercial purposes after the Second World War, now companies like Martino rely on refined mechanized processes to produce Couscous made from the best raw materials, easy to use and fast to prepare. The steps required to make commercial Couscous are the same as traditional Couscous. Manufacturing Couscous requires eight steps:

1. Blending: Semolina is mixed with water or a salt water;
2. Agglomeration: Semolina particles are combined into a mixture;
3. Shaping: The particulate mixture is reduced and shaped;
4. Steaming: The resulting granulate is precooked;
5. Drying: The coarse agglomerates are dried;
6. Cooling: The products are cooled to ambient temperature;
7. Grading: The Couscous is separated into fine (0.8 to 1.2 mm), medium, and coarse (1.5 to 2.5 mm) granules;
8. Storage: The Couscous is stored until packaged.

Couscous is steam cooked so nutrients are not leached out

Couscous swells upon steaming, and additional swelling occurs when sauce is added. Good-quality Couscous requires good cooked flavour and mouthfeel. Good-quality Couscous should not be sticky, but should absorb sauce well, have uniform particle size, and have individual particles that maintain their integrity during steaming and sauce application. All these factors affect the taste and texture of Couscous. Stickiness and texture are the most important textural determinants of quality.

A century-old tradition of high quality products and upright values allows Martino to produce Couscous varieties that are fit for any health plan, dietary requirement and taste. Our signature ranges Prestige, Organic, Kids, Al Naturale, Ready to Eat Meal, Ho Re Ca and Private Label have each been designed with care and utmost attention to every detail to ensure we never compromise on quality. All of our products are created for those who want the best: steaming, first quality grain, unique organoleptic and nutritional qualities for their authentic Italian taste products.

This has allowed Martino to contribute to the popularization of Couscous, a versatile food in North Africa, in other parts of the world as well as we have become one of the industry leaders.

Made from whole grain durum wheat semolina, quick cooking Martino Durum Wheat Couscous is wholesome, hearty, and ready in minutes! A staple of North African cuisine for hundreds of years, Couscous makes a great side dish or alternative to pasta, rice, or grains. Light and fluffy, durum wheat Couscous has a slightly more pronounced flavour than regular Couscous.

Not quite a whole grain and not quite a pasta, Couscous lies somewhere between the two

To make it, semolina (cracked grains resulting from the first milling of durum wheat) is moistened with water and then rolled in flour to form tiny pellets. These are then steamed and dried so that the Couscous only needs to be reheated before serving.

Semolina is a great source of phosphorus, magnesium, zinc, and B Vitamins (especially thiamine, niacin, and folate). Durum wheat, a variant of ancient emmer wheat, is exceptionally high in protein and relatively low in gluten, which is why we have chosen it for our range of Couscous products. The hardest of all wheat types, it is most often milled into flour or semolina for use in making pasta, Couscous, pizza dough, and flatbreads.

A hard, dense wheat with a high protein content, durum wheat is the variety most often used to make pasta. After milling, the endosperm is ground into semolina, which is mixed with water to make pasta dough. Durum wheat is also used to make the grain-like pasta called Couscous, which is an excellent addition to any healthy eating plan.