Is couscous gluten-free? No. Couscous is wheat

No. Couscous contains gluten. It’s made from durum wheat semolina, rolled into small grains. That goes for all the usual kinds: fine couscous, wholewheat couscous, and the larger pearl (Israeli) couscous.

Why people get caught out

Couscous looks like a grain of its own and often sits next to quinoa and rice on the shelf and on salad bars. It’s wheat pasta in grain form.

What to use instead

• Quinoa and millet: the closest texture, naturally gluten-free.
• Couscous made from corn or rice: exists; check that it’s labelled gluten-free.
• Cauliflower “couscous” and buckwheat groats (kasha).

Eating out

In North African, Middle Eastern and salad-bar food, couscous is everywhere. Ask whether salads were mixed in the same bowl and whether a tagine is served over couscous. A stew itself can often be served with rice instead.

Keep reading

• The Hidden-Gluten Watchlist: the 15 forbidden names and the ones to check
• Is quinoa gluten-free?
• Is semolina gluten-free?
• Which grains are gluten-free?

Sources: Codex Alimentarius (gluten-free = 20 mg/kg or less), EU Regulation 828/2014, Coeliac UK, NHS. We inform, we don’t diagnose: for medical questions, your doctor or dietitian has the last word.