Pearl Couscous bulk bio

How do I cook pearl couscous?

In a large pan of boiling salted water for twelve to fourteen minutes, then drain and season. Unlike fine couscous it does not swell off the heat: treat it as pasta. Kazidomi Vrac sells it by weight in a 500 g bag, so measure out what the table actually needs.

What exactly is pearl couscous?

Durum wheat semolina and water, rolled into small balls and then dried. It is a pasta rather than a whole grain: the texture is round and bouncy, denser than fine couscous under the tooth. Kazidomi Vrac has it made in Italy from organically grown wheat, and nothing else goes in.

Pearl couscous or wholemeal couscous: what changes?

The wholemeal couscous at Kazidomi Vrac is a fine semolina that swells in hot water off the heat, ready in five minutes and loose in the bowl. The pearl version is boiled like pasta and stays in distinct beads you eat with a spoon. Different textures, and neither stands in for the other.

What do I serve it with?

In a tagine, a vegetable stew or a broth, where it drinks up the cooking juices. It also works warm with fresh herbs, chickpeas and a trickle of olive oil. Pearl couscous from Kazidomi Vrac takes the place of rice in most slow-cooked dishes without any change to the seasoning.

Does it contain gluten?

Yes. It is made from durum wheat semolina, so it does not suit a gluten-free diet. The ingredient list here stops at semolina and water, with no additive of any kind. Kazidomi Vrac does stock pulse-based and rice-based pastas for anyone who has to leave wheat out.