Chef Wided Cherdouda, was born on January 22, 1976 in Annaba, a coastal town in Algeria. Graduate engineer in hydrogeology and Executive Pastry Chef, Chef by profession, opened her own pastry shop in 2010. She is a culinary trainer in gastronomy, traditional cuisine of the Algerian culinary heritage, pastry and confectionery since 2013. She is also on the National and international culinary jury, participating in several national and international festivals.
The Chef is passionate about the culinary arts in all their forms, her objective is to make her culinary and cultural heritage travel around the world and discover other horizons, other tastes, other culinary discoveries
Couscous is an ancestral dish, traditional from the great Maghreb to North Africa.
According to historians and experts,the origin of couscous dates back to the period 202-148 BC, where they found remains of pottery and utensils that resemble those used for the preparation of couscous, in tombs that go back to the region of the Amazigh king Massinissa. Its name comes from the word Keskesu or Seksou, (to work the seed of semolina and to roll it)
Couscous is based on a semolina seed and rolled and steamed.
It has several ways of presentation, depending on each region. It can be served with milk, or just butter and sugar. Also in sweet savoury with raisins and honey and is called Mesfouf.
It can be served with a white ,yellow or red sauce prepared with either vegetables (courgettes –carrots- potatoes-chickpeas – pumpkin) or with different meats (chicken,camel,mutton or veal), also dried meats or fish.
Couscous is a dish of the poor, like that of the rich due to its variety of preparation and presentation. It represents a culinary heritage of the great Maghreb, and hence it was granted in 2020 the title of intangible heritage of humanity, a common heritage between the Maghreb countries.
In Algeria we have more than 100 varieties of couscous dishes.