The case was carried by Algeria, Morocco, Mauritania and Tunisia, countries which have long disputed the paternity of this ancestral dish.

Couscous, an emblematic dish of North Africa, officially entered Unesco’s intangible cultural heritage on Wednesday, December 16, after a joint application from four Maghreb countries where the recipes for this popular dish are endless.

The dossier “Knowledge, know-how and practices linked to the production and consumption of couscous” was carried by Algeria, Morocco, Mauritania and Tunisia, countries that have long disputed the paternity of this ancestral dish made from durum wheat, barley or corn semolina, served with vegetables and meat or fish skillfully spiced. On Wednesday, during the official ceremony broadcast on the Unesco website, the representatives of the four countries said in turn their “joy” and their “pride” for this gastronomic and cultural recognition.

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