With the onset of summer’s first breezes, Tunisian homemakers begin preparing their winter stores. In the alleys of ancient cities and interior villages, the aroma of damp semolina and the sound of wooden sieves announce the start of the “couscous stockpiling” season, one of the oldest culinary traditions with Amazigh roots that Tunisians have preserved across generations, despite its gradual decline in recent years due to changing lifestyles and the proliferation of ready-made products.
At her home in a suburb of the capital, Tunis, we are greeted by Mrs. Fatma Zahra as she prepares for a long day of work. In front of her are bags of semolina, wooden sieves of different sizes, and a large container where she begins the process of preparing couscous grains, a scene that has become rare in modern homes.
She says with a smile: “Preparing the couscous stockpile is an old ritual with its own rules and traditions, passed down from our mothers and grandmothers.”
She explains that the process begins by selecting the finest semolina, then sifting it to remove impurities before gradually moistening it with water mixed with salt. She stirs it with the palm of her hand until small couscous grains begin to form.
She adds that the process takes long hours and requires a great deal of patience and expertise. The grains are passed through the sieve several times to achieve a uniform size, then spread on white cloths under the sun for several days until they dry completely, before being stored in airtight containers to remain consumable throughout the year.
Fatima Zahra reminisces about her youth in her village in the Kairouan governorate, central Tunisia, saying: “Village women would take turns preparing couscous in each other’s homes. The occasion was like a wedding, filled with songs, ululations, and the distribution of sweets.”
Couscous Stockpiling in Tunisia (Annahar)
But those scenes, according to our interlocutor, have begun to fade as lifestyles change, with many homemakers, especially younger generations, preferring to buy ready-made couscous instead of making it at home. This raises her concerns about the extinction of this heritage as the women who still master its secrets pass away.
Nevertheless, some families, especially in interior regions, continue to cling to this practice, where only homemade “diary couscous” has a place at their tables. Experts in popular heritage believe that the continuation of “oula” depends on families’ ability to pass this legacy on to new generations, as a cultural practice reflecting the identity of Tunisian society and its Amazigh cultural heritage.
Storing large quantities of couscous during the summer for consumption throughout the year is a deeply rooted habit among many Tunisian families.
Couscous is one of the most famous dishes in Tunisian and Maghreb cuisine and is never absent from family events, appearing at banquets, weddings, holidays, and even funerals.
In Tunisia, most families maintain the habit of cooking it at least once a week.
In 2020, couscous was inscribed on UNESCO’s Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity, through a joint file submitted by Tunisia, Algeria, Morocco, and Mauritania, as part of the shared cultural heritage of the peoples of the region.
Couscous Stockpiling in Tunisia (Annahar)
Mouneh, commonly referred to as “oula” in Tunisia, is not limited to couscous stockpiling alone. Summer becomes a season for storing various foodstuffs that families rely on throughout the rest of the year.
Fatima Zahra says: “Couscous is the basis of the stockpiling, but we also stock many other things,” meaning that they prepare stores of many other foodstuffs.
She explains: “We dry red peppers and then grind them, prepare ‘Harissa Arabi,’ and make various spices that give our dishes their distinctive flavor.”
In the past, Tunisian homes included a room called “the stocking room,” where all the foodstuffs prepared during the summer were stored for consumption during the winter.
Summer storage is not limited to these items. It also includes dried tomatoes, dried meats, and aromatic herbs, a tradition once linked to the idea of self-sufficiency and making use of seasonal harvests, which today has become part of the collective memory fighting to survive amid economic and social transformations.
This special Annahar dossier explores “Mouneh” across Lebanon and the Arab world, where preserving food means preserving memory, identity, and heritage. From Lebanese Mouneh and Zhourat to Tunisian couscous, regional thyme traditions, Palestinian provisions, and UAE dates, the dossier traces how these traditions endure, evolve, and face the pressures of modern life, war, and changing economies. Read more about the dossier:
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