alcuzcuz

[Adam Balic]

This afternoon I had a happy time translating (badly no doubt) a recipe for alcuzcuz from Francisco Martínez Montiño's "Arte de Cocina". Originally published in 1611 this book seems to have been popular enough to be republished into the 19th century.

The recipe for couscous prepareation itself is very detailed and correct. What surprises me is the presence of the recipe at all, as various sources say that during this period "alcuzcuz" was deeply out of favour with the Inquisition and was eventually banned.

Not only is it a detailed recipe for making couscous, it also mentions a specific vessel for steaming the couscous ("alcuzcurero"), which suggests to me that the dish was better known in at least some levels of Spanish society then is generally acknowledged.

I would be interested in hearing any other historical information abour alcuzcuz, if it exists.

[Rogelio]

According to Manuel Martínez Llopis originally coming from Sudan, the alcúzcuz was a paste made with flour and honey reduced to small round grains and steamed. Since the XIVth century it was an important element in the north African alimentation and was very popular in the nazarie kingdom of Granada, but not in the califates or taifas kingdoms.

Néstor Luján explains that according to the Arabic languages dictionary al-kuskus are the little food balls used by the birds to feed their children. Luján also explains the introduction of this dish In France during the kingdom of Carlos the Xth after the conquer of Algeria by the French, Jean Toussaint-Merle a war journalist and theatre author explains in his chronicles from Algeria how this stew is done and it succeeded becoming very popular among the French citizens.

[Adam Balic]

Sorry, I should have said that I am interested in information about alcuzcuz in post-Reconquista Iberia. There is a lot of speculation on line, but very little actual data.

Several sources mention it was banned during the hight of the Inquisition period, yet it appears in the two major cookbooks produced in Spain and Portugual during the same period. This doesn't make sense.

Other sources mention say that "migas" are decended from alcuzcuz, yet migas come in a huge number of forms, most of which don't resemble couscous and none of which (to my knowledge) are steamed like couscous.

Obviously alcuzcuz was still known as a dish by the literate population in Spain and Portugual at the time (Pedro Calderón de la Barca names one comic character "Alcuzcuz" in fact), but was it still consumed outwith these social strata I wonder?

[Adam Balic]

I have this Portuguese recipe for cuscuz am I right in thinking that "farinha da terra" is manioc flour?

Tomen huma quarta de farinha da terra peneirada pela peneira braca, e ralla, botem-na no alguidar da massa, se va borrifando com limitada agua, e trocendo se nas maos comuita forca so para huma banda, de sorte que fique em grani-as, e como estiver toda a farinha feita desta forma, se deitara em huma joeira, e se joeirara, e o que ficar de sima sao os cuscus, e o q for abaixo se tornara a burrisar com o mesmo burrisador fino, ou com hum ramo de murta, ou de outra qualquer cousa limpa, que nao amargue, e na agua com que se borrifar a farinha se ha de ter delido hum bocado de formento, e acabada esta farinha da forma dita, se botarao os cuscus dentro em hum cuscuzeiro forrado muito bem de papeis por dentro, e sa pora ao fogo huma panella de ferro, ou de barro em hua trempe com agua, e fervendo bem se Porã o cuscuzeiro emsima da boca da panela; e como estiver cozido o cuscus, que sabendo a pao cozido; entao se tire para fora, e torne a ir ao alguidar a desfazerse tambem com grande Força so para huma banda, e estando desfeita se pofao ao Sol a secca, durar. E nesta forma se faz cuscus. Quando se ouver de comer., se faz o caldo a parte em huma tigela como quizerem, ou de carne, ou doce, ou como se faz para aletria; feito o dito caldo, e fervido, se tira do lume, e por sima se lhe deita o cuscus e se deixa enxugar, e assim feito se poem nos pratos com canella por sima; se manda a mesa. Assim se faz o caldo para aletria.