Couscous is the product prepared from durum wheat semolina that agglomerates by adding water and undergoes physical and thermal treatment. Couscous is a traditional food from Mediterranean countries consumed for many centuries. Between ancestral domestic practices and industrial performance, the diversity of methods for couscous processing meets the needs of different consumers, whether they are concerned about preserving family culinary traditions or discovering innovative foods that respond to changing consumption patterns. In this work, we present the story of durum wheat couscous through several complementary visions and approaches: a “historical and societal“ approach to discover the origins of couscous, its migrations and its unifying role in Mediterranean societies; a “physicochemical” approach to describe the role of wheat components at the heart of couscous grains; a “technological” approach to compare domestic and industrial production of couscous; a “food science” approach to understand organoleptic characteristics of couscous grains; and a “consumer” approach to understand the motivations associated with the consumption of couscous.

In the context of food and agro-ecological transitions, the development of food applications based on legume flours and plant proteins requires a mastery of grain milling. While wheat grain milling has been extensively studied and is well-mastered, legume grinding and its underlying mechanisms are still poorly understood. The aim of this work is to contribute to the study of the fragmentation mechanisms of pea grains during grinding. Experiments were carried out on hulled yellow pea grains (Kameleon variety) ground under different conditions using a ball mill (MM400, Retsch^®, Haan, Germany) or a micro-cylinder mill. The results showed that the grinding of pea grains, regardless of the type of mill, produced powders characterized by particle size distribution curves with a multimodal shape. The curve analysis was performed according to a simplified deconvolution approach, taking into account different particle populations without diameter overlap. Four particle populations of different sizes were identified and correlated with specific mechanisms governing the grinding of yellow split peas. The physical and biochemical properties of the resulting powders were determined. Taking into account the proportions of the four populations within the powders, the results showed a positive correlation between the volume proportions of very fine (0–10 µm) and fine (10–55 µm) particles within the powders and the starch damage rate and the specific surface area developed, irrespective of the type of mill.

EPJ Web of Conferences, open-access proceedings in physics and astronomy