Ptitim
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| Alternative names | Israeli couscous, Jerusalem couscous, Pearl couscous |
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| Type | Pasta |
| Course | Side dish |
| Place of origin | Israel |
| Created by | Osem |
| Main ingredients | Wheat |
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Ptitim (/ptiˈtim/; Hebrew: פתיתים, literally "flakes") is a type of toasted pasta shaped like rice grains or little balls developed in Israel in the 1950s when rice was scarce. Outside Israel, it is typically marketed as Israeli couscous, Jerusalem couscous, or pearl couscous. In Israel, it originally became known as "Ben-Gurion rice" (Hebrew: אורז בן-גוריון, órez Ben-Gurion), though it is mainly called "ptitim" nowadays.
Ptitim was invented in 1953, during the austerity period in Israel. Israel's first prime minister, David Ben-Gurion, asked Eugen Proper, one of the founders of the Osem food company, to quickly devise a wheat-based substitute to rice. Consequently, it was nicknamed "Ben-Gurion rice" by the people. The company took up the challenge and developed ptitim, which is made of hard wheat flour and toasted in an oven. The product was instantly a success, after which ptitim made in the shape of small, dense balls (which the company termed "couscous") was added to the original rice-shaped ptitim.
Ptitim is made by extruding dough through a round mold, before it is cut and toasted, giving it the uniform natural-grain-like shape and its unique nutty flavor. Unlike common types of pasta and couscous, ptitim was factory-made from the outset, and therefore is rarely seen home-made from scratch. The store-bought product is easy and quick to prepare.
Ptitim is popular among Israeli children, who eat it plain, or mixed with fried onion and tomato paste. Ptitim is now produced in ring, star, and heart shapes for added appeal. For the health conscious consumers,whole wheat and spelt flour varieties are also available.
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Wikipedia