M'Hamsa Traditionally Made Couscous

In Tunisia, this product is called M’hamsa, which translates into sun-dried wheat grains. Made from a North African semolina made from crushed durum wheat, M’hamsa is produced in the traditional Berber method. Production begins by mixing semolina with olive oil, water, and salt, which is then pushed through screens or a sieve to create small grains, then these are left in the sun to dry. Olive oil and sun preserve the hand-rolled grains. Making couscous by hand is a tradition passed down from mother to daughter or daughter-in-law. In the past, groups of women came together to make large batches of couscous grains over several days. This gathering to make couscous is done less frequently today.