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Two vintage sieves purchased at a Moroccan country souk at least 35 years ago.

I know, don’t laugh, but I fell in love with these sieves while walking through the souk at Oualidia, a gorgeous lagoon on the way to Essaouira. I have never used them save for display.. and yes, I brought them back in my suitcase. You must know by now that I am always on the lookout for such unusual implements to use as props.

There are two different sizes of metal mesh: the large holes for the first rolling of couscous “pellets” that are then pushed through, sifted, and resifted in the fine sieve. I describe the process in my books, Couscous: Fresh and Flavorful, Cooking at the Kasbah, and Mint Tea and Minarets. The wood band is probably recycled from a crate, and the metal mesh could be chicken wire. But it is so typical of country cookware! In some hotels in Morocco, such sieves are used as wall fixtures, with a bulb illuminating the back of the sieve.