Cuscos
Vinhais
Cuscos, made from Barbela wheat, are an example of the transformation of a local resource into a food that can be preserved for many months, and which in the past replaced products such as pasta and rice, more expensive for the familial economy, and therefore consumed mainly on feast days. This dish is one of the few vestiges of the heritage left by the populations of North Africa.
Freshly steamed, the cuscos are called also “carola”, and are for quick and frugal meals, such as breakfast or a snack, simple or accompanied with sugar and honey.
When dry, cuscos are cooked in a similar way to rice and associated with local products, such as smoked meats or wild mushrooms. Sweet cuscos are also prepared, cooked in milk, and garnished with cinnamon, in a recipe identical to that of rice pudding without eggs.