Couscous, a national dish in Maghreb countries, was Wednesday classified as a Humanity immaterial heritage, Tunisian media reported in Tunis.
The UNESCO heritage committee, which met through videoconferencing, under the presidency of Jamaica, approved the dossier jointly defended by Algeria, Mauritania, Morocco and Tunisia.
These countries had said that the knowledge and practice, integral part of their cultural heritage, were related to all populations, all categories taken together, all ages, sedentary or nomadic, rural or city, emigrants.
In addition to its symbolic aspect as ’emblematic dish’, they had underlined its very strong, solidarity, living together, sharing and social dimensions…as well as ’universal’ appreciation.
The couscous tradition involves several actors: craftsmen making utensils related to couscous, farmers producing cereals, millers transforming those cereals into semolina, traders and hoteliers. (PANA/NAN)
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