The Cous Cous Fest in Sicily Celebrates Cultural Integration

The 16th annual Cous Cous Fest is under way in San Vito Lo Capo, a stunning seaside town located on the north-western coast of Sicily near Trapani. The event has become one of the major Sicilian festivals, with 250,000 people attending last year. During the course of six days, the festival celebrates one of the Mediterranean’s tastiest dishes that is also a multicultural one: a typical food of Western Sicily and North Africa countries, a dish that symbolically connects the Mediterranean’s shores in a gastronomic union. The festival in fact intends to celebrate cultural integration as well. It features six evenings of live music from Sicilian and international artists, a food village, open air markets and the main event, an international cous cous cook-off competition. Nine chefs from nine different countries - Costa d'Avorio, Egitto, Israele, Italy, Marocco, Palestina, Senegal, Tunisia and, for the first time, the United States – show off their creations, sweet or savory, with meat, seafood or vegetables. The winner is selected by a professional jury and by the public. Along the streets and courtyards of the town center, banquets and stands offer the opportunity to taste as many as 30 variations on cous cous dishes; the “Cous Cous Labs” are workshops held by expert enologists and food critics explaining the preparation of cous cous accompanied by tastings. At Expo Village, visitors can buy gastronomical and artisanal products from Sicily and participating countries.