"But it has no taste!" How to make couscous

The first time I went back home for vacation I made couscous for my friends and family.  I made them all rinse their hands in a communal bowl and then eat the couscous with their hands.  Their reaction?  See the quote above.

A few days later I was describing to my grandmother how couscous is made.  She listened carefully, then told me, “that’s how we used to make paste [glue]!”

So love it, hate it, stick things together with it, couscous is a Cameroonian staple.  Here’s how to make it.

1. Sift corn flour.  Give the chickens the stuff that doesn’t go through the sifter.
2. Boil water in a large iron pot.
3. Ladle out some of the water into a medium bowl.  Slowly add in the corn flour so that it is well-mixed.  There should be enough water in the bowl that the mixture is like a broth, NOT like paste.
4. Pour the contents of the bowl into the pot.  Stir well.
5. Let the flour-water mixture return to boiling.
6. Vigorously stir the mixture as it thickens.  (Full disclosure:  I’m not strong enough to stir a whole pot of couscous.  The women here have SERIOUS upper body strength.)
7. When it’s the consistency of mashed potatoes it’s done!  Use a plate or a bowl to scoop out portions of couscous.
8. Best enjoyed with your fingers, not cutlery!

Remember these wise words from my Cameroonian friends, "You need to serve it with sauce!  No one eats couscous by itself!"