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For those who are willing to go for something more exotic, the cashcà is the best candidate, a sort of couscous, finding its roots in the African cuisine, from the Arabs who landed on the island in the eighth century. The semolina balls of this couscous variant are a little larger than the universally known one, and served with vegetables, fish or meat based sauces. In particular, the fregula stufada is firstly cooked in meat broth, stir-fried with onion, sprinkled with pecorino cheese and then oven-cooked. The cascà is the couscous from Carloforte, together with tuna is the main dish of the people of Carloforte who lived for almost two centuries on the islet of Tabarca, in Tunisia. The preparation of cascà requires gestures, almost rituals, transmitted from mothers to daughters, like the action of working the semolina, with the hand making circular movements, keeping the fingers slightly open and the palm raised, so as not to clump, and moistened occasionally with water and then wet with oil to steam. In accordance with its Maghreb origins, it must be the tabarchino cascà, is a convivial and festive food, and this is one of the reasons why it is prepared in abundant quantities. Its consumption is often extended to all members of the family "enlarged" (grandparents, uncles, cousins etc.). Cascà, for the multiplicity of its ingredients, lends itself to different variations. The differences are minimal and are due to the vegetables used as a condiment which vary according to the season to the use, otherwise, of the meat in its dressing. In any case, the preparation of the semolina is the most important, and also the most difficult, action in the making of the dish. Once semolina is prepared, it is placed in the couscous pan and steamed then seasoned. Chickpeas, peas, cabbage, and various vegetables prepared previously separately are then added.
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