''Seffa'' () is a Maghrebi term
for a dish of sweetened
semolina
Semolina is coarsely milled durum wheat mainly used in making couscous, and sweet puddings. The term semolina is also used to designate coarse millings of other varieties of wheat, and sometimes other grains (such as rice or corn) as well.
Etym ...
cuscus
Cuscus ( or ) is the common name generally given to the species within the four genera of Australasian possum of the family Phalangeridae with the most tropical distribution:
* '' Ailurops''
* '' Phalanger''
* '' Spilocuscus''
* '' Strigocuscus ...
with butter, cinnamon, and almonds. The dish may incorporate meat,
[ and also alternatively be made with ]vermicelli
Vermicelli (; , , also , ) is a traditional type of pasta round in section similar to spaghetti. In English-speaking regions it is usually thinner than spaghetti, while in Italy it is typically thicker.
The term ''vermicelli'' is also used to ...
or rice
Rice is the seed of the grass species '' Oryza sativa'' (Asian rice) or less commonly '' Oryza glaberrima'' (African rice). The name wild rice is usually used for species of the genera '' Zizania'' and ''Porteresia'', both wild and domestica ...
. This dish is generally consumed at the end of a meal, before dessert. It is often served at traditional marriage ceremonies and family gatherings.
''Seffa'' can also be served with chicken () or with raisins ().
According to Emily Gottreich, the version of ''seffa'' involving a mixture of butter with chicken, or other meat, is a "distinctively Moroccan dish" traditionally only found in Muslim homes owing to the Jewish dietary prohibition on the mixing of meat and dairy in a single meal.
However, ''seffa'' in its simpler form, flavoured with just sugar and cinnamon, is prepared by Moroccan Jewish communities on the
night of the Mimouna. This dish is also known by the French: ''Couscous Sucré et Sec'' (sweet and dry couscous).
There are also sweetened cuscus dishes besides ''seffa'', such as '' mesfouf''.
See also
* Algerian cuisine
The cuisine of Algeria is influenced by Algeria's interactions and exchanges with other cultures and nations over the centuries. It is characterized by a wealth derived from both land and sea products. Conquests or demographic movement towards ...
* Moroccan cuisine
Moroccan cuisine () is the cuisine of Morocco, fueled by interactions and exchanges with many cultures and nations over the centuries. Moroccan cuisine is usually a mix of Arab, Berber, Andalusi, and Mediterranean cuisines, with minimal Europ ...
References
Further reading
*
Pastries
Algerian cuisine
Moroccan cuisine
{{Morocco-cuisine-stub