Lesson # 16: North Africa

During lesson # 16, our Food is Elementary students learned about North Africa and some of its traditional cuisine. The countries that comprise North Africa are Morocco, Libya, Tunisia, Egypt, Algeria, and Sudan.

The lesson began by showing the students a map of Africa, and identifying the countries of North Africa on the map. The Food Educators explained that the students would be learning about the foods and customs of North Africa. The students were shown two ingredients that are nearly ubiquitous in North African cuisine: chickpeas and couscous. Students were already familiar with chickpeas from a previous lesson, and learned that couscous, though it may not look like it, is a type of pasta eaten in North Africa.

Next, the class learned that in North Africa, people don't eat their couscous with a fork, but with their hands! Couscous is eaten with the thumb, pointer, and middle fingers of the right hand. The hands are cleaned and then rinsed with a fragrant water, such as rose water or orange blossom water. This makes the hands smell wonderful, and adds a delicate flavor to the foods being eaten. This tradition is born of a deep respect for food and eating. In North Africa, eating with metal utensils is considered a violent way of interacting with food, whereas eating with the hands is a gentle and respectful way to treat the food that nourishes our bodies.

After learning about traditional North African ingredients and customs, the students broke into groups to help prepare two recipes: African Stew ( served on top of couscous that had been pre-made by the Food Educators) and harissa, a Tunisian hot sauce made from tomatoes, chili peppers, and garlic. Students were able to eat a bit of couscous with their hands in the North African style, but enjoyed their stew and harissa with the help of Western utensils. After eating, students were invited to listen and dance to North African music. How wonderful!

The recipes for the couscous, African Stew, and harissa are very simple, highly nutritious, inexpensive and delicious. Scroll down for the recipes...


Couscous
2 cups whole wheat couscous
2 cups water

Bring water to a boil. Add the couscous. Stir and cover. Let the couscous sit for at least 5 minutes. Fluff with a fork before serving.

African Stew (served on top of couscous)
2 cups each of the following:
tomatoes
chick peas
frozen peas
carrots
sweet potatoes
raisins
1 cup chopped onion
1 chopped green onion
1 chopped green pepper
2 Tablespoons cumin
2 Tablespoons paprika
1 Tablespoon cinnamon
1 Tablespoon vegetable oil
Salt and pepper to taste

Cook the onions and peppers in the oil. Add tomatoes. Add cumin, paprika,and cinnamon. Add remaining ingredients and simmer for at least 5 minutes. Serve on couscous with harissa sauce if desired.

Harissa
1 cup tomato paste
2 Tablespoons lemon juice
2 cloves crushed garlic
1 Tablespoon hot pepper

Crush the garlic and the pepper in a mortar and pestle or mash in a bowl with a fork. Add the tomato paste and lemon juice. Combine.