The Couscous World Championship rewards Cous Cous Fest United, the team made up of a Palestinian chef and an Israeli chef: a victory with strong symbolic value, in the name of dialogue and coexistence between peoples.
The Cous Cous Fest United team, composed of Palestinian chef Shady Hasbun, who works in Arezzo, and Israeli chef Tze'ela Rubinstein, owner of the Cooking in Toscana restaurant in Lucca, won first place at the Bia Cous Cous World Championship, the couscous world championship held as part of the 29th edition of the Cous Cous Fest .
The result takes on a meaning that goes beyond the culinary competition. In an international context marked by the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, seeing two chefs from opposing communities collaborate and win together represents a symbolic message of peace, dialogue, and the possibility of coexistence. Not a solution to conflict, but a concrete example of how the encounter between people, cultures, and traditions can open spaces for sharing.
The international festival of cultural integration, produced by the Feedback agency in collaboration with the Municipality of San Vito Lo Capo, has thus entrusted cuisine with one of its most significant messages: differences do not prevent us from building something together.
The taste of the other conquers the jury
The jury was won over by the dish "The Taste of the Other," a watermelon couscous salad accompanied by a fried couscous meatball filled with spiced meat and sauces. The recipe beat out submissions from Algeria, Brazil, France, Italy, Morocco, Senegal, and Spain.
"Before being a recipe, this dish is a meeting," the chefs explained, emphasizing the value of uniting different cultures and gastronomic traditions. A philosophy also found in the dish's title, designed to convey how different identities can find a shared balance.
The preparations were judged by a popular jury composed of festival visitors and a technical jury chaired by Angelo Mellone, Director of Daytime Entertainment at Rai. The winning chefs were honored by Mayor Francesco La Sala and Manfredi Cusmano, CEO of Bia Cous Cous.
A record-breaking festival
The 29th edition of the Cous Cous Fest concluded with a record attendance, confirming the appeal of the event that enlivened San Vito Lo Capo for ten days with food, music, and international meetings.
"An extraordinary result and record attendance confirm the strength and appeal of this event," said Mayor Francesco La Sala. "The Cous Cous Fest confirms itself not only as a great gastronomic event, but also as a celebration capable of bringing together diverse people through the universal language of food, music, and conviviality."
Musical guests at the 2026 edition include Sal Da Vinci, Stadio, and Ditonellapiaga, along with international delegations, chefs, and visitors from Italy and abroad.
The special prizes of the World Championship
In addition to the victory of Cous Cous Fest United, the technical jury awarded five special recognitions to the competing teams:
- Italy – Conad Award, Value of Ingredients: awarded to San Vito chef Enrico Figuccia, along with Daniele Tantucci and Alessia Groppuso.
- Brazil – Maniva Award, Balance & Wellbeing: the proposal by Paulo Ricardo Souza Aires and Antonio Goncalo De Brito Neto, with the Brazilian northeastern couscous, was awarded.
- France – Food Network Award, WOW: recognition for chefs Elio Genualdo and Guillaume Pierre Arnaud Heckmann for the dish with the greatest visual and narrative impact.
- Morocco – Amadori Award, Taste & Wellbeing: Badr Benjelloun wins with his “Seksu Medfouna dell’High Atlas,” a recipe based on beef, argan essence, and marrow marqa.
- Senegal – UniCredit Award, Sustainable Cuisine: recognition goes to Fatima Diagne and Mouhametd Babou for their “Khadija Senegalese Cous Cous,” a reinterpretation of North African tradition according to Senegalese gastronomic culture.
The victory of Cous Cous Fest United provides the event with a highly symbolic finale. San Vito Lo Capo bids farewell to the 29th edition of the festival with a message entrusted to its cuisine: dialogue between people and different cultures is possible and can become a starting point for building relationships based on respect, understanding, and peace.
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