Toasted Mediterranean Couscous

Known as Ptitim פתיתים‎ in Hebrew, this is a toasted pasta shaped like rice or little balls. Outside of Israel, it is known as Israeli or Jerusalem couscous.

Ptitim was invented during the austerity period in Israel (from 1949 to 1959), when rice was scarce, to provide for the needs of Jewish immigrants from arriving in Israel from the Arab world for whom rice was a dietary staple.

While considered a children’s food in Israel, elsewhere in the world, Israeli couscous is used as an ingredient for “trendy delicacies” including pasta salads, soups and risottos. Ptitim can be used in many different types of dishes, both hot and cold. They retain their shape and texture even when reheated, and unlike traditional North African couscous, they do not clump together as much.