Invitation to Travel

The dough, obtained by leavening wheat or barley flour with water, salt, and yeast, is worked by hand to make its structure uniform, then cut to the desired size and, according to local tradition, shaped until it takes the form of a diamond. The resulting diamond shape is rolled onto itself into a spiral with a small central hole and then baked in contact with other pieces, in small batches of six to eight shapes.

In ancient times, a string was threaded through the hole and its ends were tied to form a necklace of *friselle*, making them easier to transport while keeping them protected from moisture.

After the first baking, each individual piece, still warm, is cut horizontally with a taut string (“a strozzo”), leaving on the cut surface the characteristic irregular texture, resulting in one porous side and one compact side. The two pieces obtained—the lower one with a flat base and the upper one with a curved back—are baked again in the oven to eliminate any residual moisture. *Frisa* was stored in *capase*, clay containers used to protect it from humidity and promote preservation.

*Frisa* is prepared by soaking it in cold water (*sponsatura*) for a time that depends on personal taste and on the consistency of the baked dough.

From frisella to couscous

Those pilgrims, once they reached the Holy Land after an exhausting and adventurous journey, probably had the chance to taste another food from the ancient Mediterranean tradition: couscous. A food that was certainly present in those regions, as a legend tells that King Solomon (1011 BC – 931 BC) would indulge in generous servings of couscous to soothe the pains of love caused by the Queen of Sheba.

A humble food and the main source of sustenance for nomadic populations, couscous is a dish that originated in North Africa. Some archaeological discoveries dating back to the ninth century are said to have uncovered kitchen utensils used to prepare couscous.

During the eleventh century, the Arab-Islamic conquest contributed to the spread of the dish throughout the entire North African region. Economic growth and the development of wheat production accelerated its expansion. Couscous was then brought to Spain, to the southern region of Andalusia, and along the Mediterranean coastline. In a sixteenth-century writing by François Rabelais, it is noted that *Coscoton à la Moresque* was widespread and appreciated in Provence.

Among the places where couscous was adopted and celebrated is Sicily. Here, around the seventeenth century, the Arabs spread it to Trapani and the surrounding areas. Today, couscous is among the island’s specialties, and festivals, fairs, and various events are organized in its honor.

Couscous grains are made from semolina (coarsely ground durum wheat) or, in some regions, from coarsely ground millet. The semolina is sprinkled with water and worked by hand to form small pellets, which are dusted with dry semolina to keep them separate and then passed through a sieve. The pellets that are too small to form couscous grains pass through the sieve and are again dusted with dry semolina and worked by hand. This process continues until all the semolina has been transformed into the tiny grains of couscous. This procedure requires very lengthy processing. In traditional society, women would gather in groups for several days to prepare large quantities together. Once dried in the sun, the grains could then last for several months.

In a similar way, *berkukes* pellets can be prepared, which differ in being larger than regular couscous grains.

As for cooking couscous, according to tradition the grains must be steamed several times, then flavored with broth in a special double pot, the *couscoussier*, which allows the right consistency to be maintained and prevents the formation of lumps.

FRISCOUS®

Friscous represents a fusion between *frisella* and couscous—an ideal journey that enhances and unites a dish typical of the Salento culinary tradition with another equally emblematic of many Mediterranean countries.