Couscous - Telling the difference between types

[Haggis]

Gday all, I picked up some couscous today but I am unsure of whether it is instant couscous or regular couscous (note: it is not Israeli couscous :)). I am wondering if anyone knows how to tell the difference between the two? Or is the only way to find out is to cook it as one would do instant couscous and see what the results are?

I did not buy it in a packet so there is no telling that way, I picked it up at a new deli I found. One thing that leads me to believe it might be regular couscous is that it was in a sack (for some reason it seems more plausible that regular couscous would be like this rather than instant couscous).

I know how to cook it, I am just seeking if there is a way of determining what type it is.

Thanks in advance.

[mudbug]

Wow, Haggis, I always thought couscous was pretty much "instant" in its natural state.

[GB]

Yeah I didn't know there was a difference either. maybe you could call the deli and ask them?

[jennyema]

Cook up a T of it as you would instant. If it rehydrates that way, then it's instant.

[Claire]

Israeli couscous is like little peas and takes longer cooking, and you've already discounted that. I'd think that the rest would be the same (or at least they have been in my experience) -- pour boiling water (I prefer chicken stock) over it and let it soak. But then I've never been grocery shopping Down Under! Let us know what happened!!

[Robo410]

well, the two main ways to fix it are in boiling water, or over steam (which takes longer, but produces fine results.) The main resaon fo rthe other way to cook it was so you could cook two things at once in a two stage pot (steamer on top) and save water in a desert climate.