To serve couscous with grilled food, choose a 1 kg pack of plain couscous if you’re cooking for a crowd and want to season it yourself. Cooking pouches make portioning easier, while seasoned varieties call for a closer look at the ingredients. A tin of ready-made couscous is not a substitute for dry couscous that you prepare as a side dish.
If you’re serving couscous with grilled food and vegetables, a 1 kg pack of plain couscous lets you take out the amount you need and choose your own seasoning. Carrefour and Auchan both stock medium-grain couscous in this format.
Cooking pouches save you measuring couscous out of a large pack. Carrefour stocks a box of five 100 g Tipiak pouches, for example. Check how many pouches you’ll need for your guests and follow the cooking instructions.
Durum wheat couscous contains gluten. If you’re looking for a different ingredient profile, distinguish it from products explicitly labelled gluten-free, such as the maize couscous stocked by Auchan, and check the ingredients and allergen information on the pack you choose.
First, work out how much you need to prepare. Then choose between plain couscous that you can season yourself and a format that makes portioning easier. Finally, check the ingredients in your chosen product, especially if one of your guests needs to avoid something.
| Criterion | What to check | Who it matters to |
|---|---|---|
| Quantity | Net weight, stated number of portions and storage instructions after opening. | When serving a large group, I look for a pack that lets me take out the amount I need without opening several smaller packs. Around 46% of consumers would put quantity at the top of their list. |
| Preparation | Weight per pouch, preparation method and the amount of water stated on the pack. | When I already have the barbecue and other sides to think about, I prefer portions that are easy to organise. Ease of preparation would come first for around 36% of consumers. |
| Ingredients | Ingredients, allergens and, for a seasoned variety, the salt content stated in the nutritional information per 100 g. | If I want to choose the spices or avoid a particular ingredient, the exact recipe matters more than the format. Around 18% of consumers would prioritise this control over the ingredients. |
A tin of ready-made couscous contains a meal to serve, not plain couscous to prepare as a side for your barbecue. ALDI, for example, sells ready meals under the name “couscous”.
If you want to prepare the side dish yourself, check the product description and look for dry couscous, either in a pack or in cooking pouches.
Auchan’s listing for Tipiak fine couscous states that it contains durum wheat and gluten; the listing for its pre-cooked spiced variety also mentions celery. Ingredients vary by product.
Read the ingredients and allergen information on the exact pack. If you need a gluten-free option, look for a product that is explicitly labelled as such.
A large pack can be used for several meals, provided you follow the storage instructions for the product you’ve bought.
Once opened, follow the pack’s guidance on sealing it and protecting it from moisture and heat.
Plain 1 kg packs, different grain sizes, cooking pouches and a seasoned variety give you several ways to prepare couscous.
The retailer offers own-brand couscous in different grain sizes and pack formats, so you can compare options based on how much you need and the recipe you want.
The retailer stocks medium couscous in a large pack, as well as products with different ingredients.
The brand’s medium, fine and wholegrain couscous offer different grain options, including 1 kg packs.
A 1 kg pack of medium couscous to consider if you’re planning to prepare several portions.
These 1 kg products are for preparing couscous to serve with grilled food or vegetables, with the seasoning of your choice. Compare the grain size and check the instructions on each pack before cooking.
Image unavailable
A pack of medium couscous to consider if you’re preparing a generous amount for a side dish and want to choose the seasoning yourself.
Check the ingredients and allergen information on the packaging, along with the storage instructions for after opening.
Image unavailable
This pack lets you prepare medium couscous to serve with grilled food and season it to taste at mealtimes.
Durum wheat couscous contains gluten. Check the label if the ingredients are an important factor in your choice.
Image unavailable
Choose this product if you’re looking for fine-grain couscous in a 1 kg pack to season for your barbecue.
This is durum wheat couscous and contains gluten. Check the pack for the water ratio and preparation time for this variety.
Image unavailable
This pack of wholegrain couscous is a good option when you’re preparing a larger quantity and want to choose what to add yourself.
It contains wheat and therefore gluten. Check the packaging for the water ratio and preparation instructions for this product.
Image unavailable
This 1 kg pack gives you a couscous base to season to complement the other sides at your barbecue.
Check the label for wheat and allergen information, then follow the water ratio and preparation time stated on the pack.
No, not if you want to prepare couscous to serve with grilled food. Choose dry couscous in a pack or cooking pouches instead. A tin labelled “couscous” may be a ready meal, so check the product description and ingredients before buying.
Use the serving size stated for the product you choose as a guide, then take the other side dishes into account. Auchan states that its 1 kg pack of medium couscous serves 16 portions. This applies to that product and shouldn’t automatically be taken as a guide for other varieties.
No, durum wheat couscous contains gluten. If you’re looking for an alternative, check that the product is explicitly labelled “gluten-free” and read the ingredients. Auchan, for example, sells maize couscous made from maize semolina.
Compare the product description, ingredients, allergens and nutritional values per 100 g, taking the exact recipe into account. For prepacked food in France, the DGCCRF states that allergenic ingredients must be highlighted and that nutrition information is given per 100 g or 100 ml.
Follow the storage instructions printed on the pack you’ve bought. For its fine couscous, Tipiak advises storing it away from moisture and heat and, if possible, keeping it in an airtight container after opening.