Cuscuz
Also known as: Cuscus, Cape Verdean couscous, Cuscuz de milho
Cuscuz is a Cape Verdean steamed cake of fine corn flour, cooked in a clay binde pot, sliced and eaten warm for breakfast with butter, honey or sugarcane molasses. It shares nothing but a name with North African couscous. A slice costs $1 to $2.
| Dish type | Staple |
|---|---|
| Country | Cape Verde |
| Key ingredients | Fine corn flour, Water, Sugar, Salt, Cinnamon (optional) |
| Vegetarian | Yes |
| Spicy | No |
| Typical price | $1 to 2 a slice |
| Also known as | Cuscus, Cape Verdean couscous, Cuscuz de milho |
| Served with | Butter, Mel de cana (sugarcane molasses), Honey, Milky coffee, Warm milk |
Cuscuz shares a name with North African couscous and almost nothing else. The Cape Verdean version is a dense, moist cake made from finely ground corn flour, lightly sweetened, sometimes flavoured with a little cinnamon, and steamed in a binde, a tall unglazed clay pot with holes in its base that sits over a pan of boiling water. The steam rises through the flour and sets it into a firm, crumbly cake that is turned out, cut into wedges and eaten warm. It is a breakfast food above all, and on Santiago and Fogo the smell of cuscuz steaming in a courtyard is as much a part of the morning as coffee.
The classic way to eat it is with a generous spread of butter and a drizzle of mel de cana, the dark sugarcane molasses made on Santo Antao and Santiago, or with honey and a mug of milky coffee. Some families crumble it into warm milk like a porridge. The flavour is plain and comforting, sweetcorn and toasted grain with the richness coming from whatever you put on top, and the texture is somewhere between polenta cake and a dense cornbread. In cafes it costs 100 to 200 escudos a slice, around $1 to 2. Cuscuz is also the bread of choice alongside a bowl of caldo de peixe or a plate of grilled fish in the south of Santiago, where a wedge is used to soak up the broth. Look for it in the mornings at guesthouses and market cafes, because by lunchtime it has usually sold out.
How It's Eaten
Cut into wedges and eaten warm with the fingers or a fork, spread with butter and molasses or honey, alongside coffee. Also crumbled into warm milk, or served as a bread with fish soup and grilled fish.
Cultural Context
Corn arrived in Cape Verde from the Americas in the sixteenth century and became the staple grain of the islands. Cuscuz is one of the oldest ways of cooking it, using the binde steaming pot that is still made by hand on Santiago and Fogo. It is the food of early mornings, of guesthouses and grandmothers, and the diaspora keeps it alive with binde pots carried to Lisbon and Boston. The name came from the Portuguese, who borrowed it from North Africa, but the dish itself is entirely Cape Verdean.
Variations
Cuscuz com mel
Served with sugarcane molasses or honey, the standard breakfast version.
Cuscuz com leite
Crumbled into warm sweetened milk and eaten with a spoon, a common way to serve it to children.
Where to Try Cuscuz
praia
Breakfast at guesthouses and market cafes around Sucupira, Cafes on the Plateau early in the morning
sao filipe
Guesthouse breakfasts on Fogo, often with local goat cheese and Fogo coffee
mindelo
Bakeries and cafes near the Mercado Municipal
Frequently Asked Questions
What is cuscuz in Cape Verde?
Cuscuz is a Cape Verdean steamed corn cake made from fine corn flour cooked in a clay binde pot over boiling water. It is cut into wedges and eaten warm for breakfast with butter, honey or sugarcane molasses and coffee.
Is Cape Verdean cuscuz the same as couscous?
No. The name is shared, but Cape Verdean cuscuz is a dense steamed cake made from corn flour, closer to a cornbread or polenta cake, while North African couscous is granules of wheat semolina served with stew.
What does cuscuz taste like?
Mildly sweet and grainy, like a moist, dense cornbread. Most of the flavour comes from the butter, honey or molasses served on top.
Is cuscuz vegetarian?
Yes. Cuscuz is made from corn flour, water, sugar and salt. It is also vegan if you skip the butter and use molasses instead of honey.